![Compost Infoday A citizen receives a bag of compost and information on how to use it.](/sites/default/files/styles/banner_image/public/paragraph_image_100/61j1j5yc_0.png?itok=HEJ12oCc)
Activities to promote compost as a soil conditioner for home gardens
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About this good practice
In South Tyrol, biowaste and green waste have been turned into compost since the 1990s. The compost produced has been promoted at various events, and the population has been sensitized to its use as a soil improver. The main goals are to increase the acceptance of compost among citizens and to achieve the separation of high-quality organic waste, enhancing citizens' competence and awareness.
From 1990 to 2000, home composting was favored in rural areas to reduce the quantity of organic waste in residual waste and to process the organic and green waste into compost for use in citizens’ gardens.
Actions included information events on organic waste and home composting in interested municipalities, provision of free compost bins for interested citizens, consultancy by compost masters, the creation of a brochure as a handbook for compost counseling.
Since home composting is suitable for only a small part of organic waste, mainly in rural context, there was a shift to decentralised composting from 2000 to 2015, with 8 plants located throughout the province: open days for citizens were organized at the plants.
In 2024, the infoday was brought to the town with the local pilot action “composting day”, with free distribution of compost in printed bags with information on the composting process, instructions on how to separate high quality organic waste to obtain good compost, and its use.
A video was made at the plant, explaining the process of turning organic waste into compost.
Resources needed
No need to allocate special funds: activities fall within the institutional role of the province and are in the waste management plan.
WMO's technicians, public and private operators of collection facilities and composting plants and municipalities to host and logistically support the events.
Evidence of success
Actions on home composting have introduced composting to many citizens, who have adopted home composting and can now benefit from reductions on waste disposal fees. Composting infodays at the plant were less successful due to the facilities being far from populated areas, resulting in low attendance.
Composting day in town: well-attended initiative.
The online video on composting reached nearly 4000 views in a short time.
Reduction of organic waste in residual waste from 130 to 30 kg/inh/year.
Potential for learning or transfer
Due to the success of the compost infoday, bringing the compost to the citizens, represents a good practice to be repeated in other towns in South Tyrol.
The video on composting process, available online on the Environmental Agency's website, will be shown as a short film in cinemas in the fall, before movie presentation.
A open day with guided visits was also organized at the anaerobic digestion plant, and a video was made in this case as well.
Both initiatives can be replicated in other realities and are a good channel to reach the population directly.
Further information
From organic waste to high-quality compost
Images
Website
Good practice owner
Agenzia provinciale per l’ambiente e la tutela del clima
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