Osaki Town begins digitizing food waste composting

Osaki Town SDGs Promotion Council and Oaknet IBS have launched a collaborative demonstration experiment to digitize food waste composting. The initiative, which began on May 30, aims to leverage Osaki Town’s renowned recycling system to create a model of a circular economy.

Osaki Town, located in Kagoshima Prefecture, has earned the title of Japan’s top municipality for recycling rates 15 times, according to the Ministry of the Environment. The town’s innovative “Circular Village Osaki Town” concept focuses on reusing and recycling all materials, particularly household waste, more than 60% of which is composed of food scraps and organic matter like plants.

Central to the composting process experiment is the management of fermentation temperatures, which fluctuate between 60°C and 90°C. Historically, this task required significant manual labor, with staff needing to monitor conditions on-site and decide when to stir and water the compost. This process was not only labor-intensive but also posed challenges in terms of efficiency and standardization.

To address these issues, the Osaki Town SDGs Promotion Council has partnered with Oaknet IBS to digitize the composting process. The experiment involves deploying temperature sensors capable of operating in high-temperature corrosive environments within the compost pits at Osaki Town’s organic factory, managed by Soo Recycling Center. These sensors automatically record temperature data, which can then be monitored via a dashboard using Oaknet IBS’s IoT platform. This setup will allow for precise tracking of temperature changes and timing for stirring and watering, effectively digitizing the composting know-how.

The initiative is expected to run for one year and is part of the broader “ALL COMPOST PROJECT.” This project aims to offer opportunities for both domestic and international municipalities to experiment with food waste composting, based on the successful model developed in Osaki Town. Digitizing the composting know-how is anticipated to significantly reduce the burden on field staff and improve operational efficiency. Furthermore, it will enable new municipalities to confidently embark on waste composting projects and facilitate the sharing and utilization of data both domestically and internationally.