Abstract
Composting provides an economical and environmentally significant method to reduce wastes. A vessel system bioreactor was designed to study a composting mixture consisting of 70% date palm wastes and date palm pits and 30% shrimp and crab shell wastes. This mixture took about 13 weeks to mature. The compost so prepared had all the quality of a good fertilizer as exhibited by its various consyituents. The final compost product had 57.1% moisture content with pH 7.9 and an organic matter of 891.0 g/kg dry matter with significant amounts of 2.2, 0.82, 14.3, and 1.3 g/kg calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, respectively.