Porto project lets communities make their own fertilizer

The idea is to implement circularity at the household level

Since 4 August, two neighbourhoods in Porto have had composting islands installed on their territories. There, residents can deposit their organic waste in order to turn it into compost, which they can then use for gardening. One of these so-called ‘islands’ is located near Parque Infantil do Amial and the other at Praça do Cávado, in Paranhos.

Field technicians will also monitor the composting process

Joining the project is simple and is available to all interested parties residing in these neighbourhoods. The participants will receive a package, which includes a bucket for separating organic waste, an access card key to the composter installed on the island as well as a vertical garden kit and a bag-backpack.

Once the organic waste and/or greenery (leaves, branches, grass) is separated in the bucket, the user will just use the key to access the composter and deposit the contents of the bucket. Participants will have the support of field technicians, who will frame and monitor the entire composting process. The end result will be a 100% natural organic compound that will be available for use by all project participants.

Porto authorities reminded the public that the strategy being implemented in the city for the management of biowaste is based on three fundamental pillars: reduction and reuse, local treatment and centralized treatment. Community composting emerges as a solution for the local treatment of biowaste, allowing to reduce both the costs and the associated environmental impacts.

This project results from the collaboration between LIPOR – the Greater Porto Intermunicipalized Waste Management Service and the municipal company Porto Ambiente. The implementation of these two community composting sites comes from the work developed under the CityLoops project, financed by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program for Research and Innovation (H2020).