NTU turning dead leaves, branches into 'green gold'

The high volume of dead leaves and branches from the approximately 10,000 trees on the university's 120-hectare main campus is being used to make organic compost, said Cheng Fu-shu, dean of NTU's Office of General Affairs.

Since 2005, the school and its farm have been engaged in a project that involves gathering the withered branches and leaves to make compost, he said. They are mixed with cow dung and left to ferment for six months, after which a black, odorless organic compost is produced, he added.

If the school treats the leaves and branches as garbage, it will have had to spend money to dispose of them, but instead it is making money from the compost, he said.

In 2009, Cheng said, NTU saved NT$600,000 in waste treatment fees and produced compost worth NT$300,000.

According to an NTU official, the production of the “green gold” is simple and does not require chemicals or other materials.

“It's simply a 1:2 ratio of leaves and branches to cow dung,” he said.

If cow dung cannot be found, it can be replaced with kitchen waste, he added. The mixture can be put into in a gunny sack for three to fourth months and turned occasionally to produce compost for gardening, he said.

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