Evaluation of compost quality from municipal solid waste integrated with organic additive in Mizan–Aman town, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluated the compost quality from municipal solid waste (MSW) and organic additives of coffee by-products and leaf of Millettia ferruginea. Compost sample (n = 30) was taken from fresh compost materials and MSW and different organic additive treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5). Compost treatments phytotoxicity test was conducted using lettuce seed (Lactuca Sativa L. var. crispa). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using SPSS (version 22) on major compost quality characteristics. RESULTS: The compost Physico-chemical characteristics like temperature (26.4 °C), moisture content (45.5%), electrical conductivity (4.6 mS/cm), pH (7.9), total nitrogen (1.2%) and phosphorous content (2918 ppm) in T4 and T5 were analogous but both are significantly different from T3, T2 and T1 compost treatments. Phytotoxicity test using 100% compost treatment media showed that T4 (101%) and T5 (102%) are phytonutrient for lettuce plant. While, T3 and T2; and T1 compost treatments are non-phytotoxic and moderately phytotoxic respectively to lettuce plant. CONCLUSION: Therefore, compost from MSW + M. ferruginea (T4) and MSW + coffee pulp + M. ferruginea (T5) are important for improving the physico-chemical characteristics of compost and are phytonutrient for lettuce plant. Thus, for effectively management of the 75% of organic fraction of waste generated from households in the study area, recycling methods like composting with organic additives must be used at large. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13065-021-00770-1.