Excellent study and paper - congratulation. The concept is excellent. As a matter of fact I have designed and installed a commercial vermicomposting operation for a 20 ha tomato and capsicum glasshouse producing approximately 2,000 tonnes of fruit and leave wastes per year in 2007. We combined the greenhouse waste with pulp and paper mill solids from a nearby pulpmill in central North Island of New Zealand. Both primary solids as well as solids from the recycling paper plant worked very well. All vermicast is utilised on the dairy and dry stock farm which is surrounding the glasshouse operation. The 'wormfarm' is operating in its 6th year now successfully.
Vermicomposting of greenhouse wastes in combination with fibre rich organic wastes is definitely a sustainable waste management strategy with low capital infrastructure.
I would like to initiate a research project on comparing economical and environmental outcomes form commercial vermicomposting operation globally. In New Zealand currently 150,000 tonnes of organic wastes are vermicomposted. We would like to know about any other commercial operations and scientists interested in such a project.
Article Recycling of environmentally problematic plant wastes genera...
I had been involved in commercial production of vermicompost in large scale from 1993 to 2008 in Anthrapradesh, India. I have got Ph D degree by publishing my research work(2002) that vermicompost is suitable carrier for biofertilizer microbes. I was preparing and supplying consortium of Plant beneficial microbes (Biofertilizers) after formulated with vermicompost as biomanure to farmers. Really it gives highly significant better results than using biofertilizer with out vermicompost. As I love earthworms for its valuable service in enriching the soil for sustainable crop production apart from effective conversion of organic waste in to vermicompost. I am a most interested person in vermicomposting project.
Michael, This information would be incredibly useful for growing the international vermicomposting industry. The only survey I know of is Rhonda Sherman's (NCSU) chapter in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Vermiculture-Technology-Earthworms-Environmental-Management/dp/1439809879 and it only covers US companies (some of which have gone bankrupt since the book was published in 2010).
One of the barriers to making a full analysis is that most companies will not share key information (material in, material out, price of material etc.) if they feel it could be linked back to their company. Or if they offer information, it cannot be independently verified and may be greatly exaggerated. So you would need to find enough companies that an economist could pool the data, thereby making it anonymous. And those companies would have to be open to allowing economists full access to their books to verify the reported data.
I would suggest posting in the Vermicomposting LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vermicomposting-Network-3756046/about
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