Extraction of Essential Oil from Marigold Targets Erecta l., an Economical and Eco-Friendly Approach to Floral Waste Management with Cost Analysis
Abstract:
According to the current scenario in India, waste flowers generated from temples are being directly disposed in nearby water bodies or dumped at one place for decomposition. Of all floral waste, marigold flowers are commonly used for offering and decorating temples. These practices of floral waste disposal pose a remarkable challenge to existing waste management. There have been many studies regarding the disposal of floral waste; however instead of direct disposal, there is still vast scope for using these waste flowers. The major use of this waste marigold can be carried out in the form of essential oil extraction. Waste flowers from the temples are collected and then, using a hydro- distillation approach, oil is extracted. The yield of oil obtained from these waste marigolds was compared with that of fresh marigold flowers. Cost analysis conducted to check whether the approach is cost effective. On a normal day, 22.645 kg of essential oil per day can be extracted within a Hyderabad city, India. The yield of oil obtained is 0.349% per kg of marigold. The percentage savings obtained from presented study for Hyderabad city is 72.53 which in itself is a big number. With the help of this study one can clarify the applicability of similar approach to their location. Production of oil from marigold waste is economical and sustainable. This essential oil has various uses such as mosquito repellents. The major concern is to make the whole process environmentally friendly. In addition to the other direct benefits, it provides new employment opportunities to the people, which will be a better asset to India’s GDP growth.
