Circular Economy for Organic Waste in Turrialba, Costa Rica

Our Goal

This project aims to establish a sustainable system for organic waste management in Turrialba, Costa Rica. By implementing a pilot program for selective organic waste collection and composting, we seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a circular economy. The project focuses on building local capacity, enhancing waste separation practices, and providing comprehensive training to ensure effective and long-term composting solutions for local businesses.

Project Profile

The project in Turrialba has established a pilot centralized composting facility to efficiently manage organic waste from local businesses, including restaurants, ice cream parlors, and cafeterias. Key elements of this ongoing initiative include the developed optimized waste collection routes, the acquired vital composting equipment, and the prepared facilities dedicated to composting.

In collaboration with the ASOPRET Association’s recyclers, the project is implementing training workshops and communication campaigns. These efforts are specifically tailored to educate business administrators and their employees on sustainable development and the critical importance of managing organic waste effectively. The goal is to instill best practices in waste separation and to highlight the role of organic waste management in fostering a circular economy, thereby addressing the broader environmental challenge posed by organic waste.

Main Activities:

Prepare facilities: Adapt infrastructure to implement composting operations. Ensure proper organic waste segregation and handling facilities.
Equipment Procurement: Acquire basic equipment (e.g., shredder, shovels, pH meter, temperature meter, trommel, scale).
Emission Monitoring: Monitor the reduction of organic matter treated in the pilot plant and the subsequent prevention of landfill emissions.
Communication and Awareness Campaign: Design and implement a communication and awareness campaign targeting the prioritized population on organic waste management, source separation, and the link between circular economy and food security.
Training and Technical Assistance: Develop a comprehensive training program for organic waste composting. Provide technical assistance and training on operational best practices.