Community composting

At the moment, there is no organized separate collection for household biowaste in place in Mechelen. The average fraction of biowaste in the mixed residual waste in Mechelen is 60 % (2021). By recycling the biowaste at the source, citizens and the municipality can save money and reduce their carbon footprint by reducing the volume of waste that goes into the mixed residual waste. Moreover, the generated compost can be used in the community gardens as an organic soil improver, mulch or fertilizer. In 2020 the city council adopted the Climate Plan for Mechelen and committed to reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030. With this plan new subsidy regulations were introduced to encourage citizens to take actions that contribute to the objectives of the climate plan. The city of Mechelen wants to give everyone the chance to help build a climate-neutral, circular and fossil-free Mechelen through financial support of up to € 5000 in the form of ‘Climate Actions’. Citizens can ask for advice on how to compost and receive help with finding a suitable location and get access to materials. The main stakeholders are the city of Mechelen and VLACO npo. VLACO is a non-profit organisation that unites policy and companies that process biowaste in Flanders. Vlaco organizes theoretical and practical workshops on closing organic cycles at home. For the community the good practice contributes to the social cohesion in the neighbourhood by facilitating spontaneous encounters or joint activities.