Disposal of municipal solid waste with in situ termireactors: proof-of-concept

Background: Termites, which are among the nature’s most effective scavengers and earthmovers, are distinguished by their ability to process lignin. In this report, arguably the first of its type, we present studies in which termites have been utilized for solid waste disposal. Twenty-five different types of solid wastes were positioned by us in in situ termireactors, at different locations and at varying distances away from the mounds of different termite species. The rate of consumption of the substrates was monitored as a function of time. Results: The results reveal that substrates such as cotton waste, coconut shells, and torn jute bags, which resist composting, vermicomposting, or anaerobic digestion, are successfully decomposed by termites. Different termite species were able to bypass some substrates kept nearer their mounds and go to some other substrates kept farther away, showing their preference for different wastes as well as their ability to discern one waste type from the other. Conclusions: The work provides proof-of-concept that termites can be used for the assimilative disposal of MSW.