The recent inauguration of the Quinta Falcão Housing Complex, signaled the beginning of a municipal community composting project which aims to promote the recovery and use of organic waste in housing estates.
According to a press release, the first composter has been installed at Quinta Falcão and is located in a common space which is easily accessible to the thirty residents who live there.
Talking about the project, the Mayor of Funchal, Miguel Silva Gouveia, stated that the objective is “to continue the excellent work already carried out by the people of Funchal with regards to composting, an initiative that the Funchal City Council (CMF) initiated in 2019. The project will continue this year and all families living in Funchal who have a garden can apply for a free compost bin. The initiative has also been expanded to include communities living in ‘housing estates.”
The Mayor went on explain that the initiative aims to promote the recovery of organic waste since it comprises about 40% of undifferentiated waste. “This initiative, which is essentially a bio-waste solution, makes possible savings in waste management costs, namely in its collection, transportation and treatment.
He went on to say that community composter bins are located in spaces that are easily accessible to residents and enables them to share a common resource in that everyone can put their organic waste in the composter, and subsequently make use of the resulting compost in their gardens. Each family is provided with a 5 litre bucket for the storage of organic waste in their apartment, an access key to the composter, and an information pamphlet on composting which clarifies the types of waste that can be placed in the bins.”
Concluding he said that by expanding their original community composting initiative the CMF has taken another important step towards continuing to reduce the production of urban solid waste in the municipality, adopting good practices that are already in force in many cities throughout the world. This is a waste prevention and recovery strategy which greatly benefits the economy and the environment.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
