Terra à Terra – Home Composting Project

Type of practice Recycle

Name of practice Terra à Terra – Home Composting Project

Name of main actor LIPOR, Intermunicipalized Waste Management of Greater Porto

Type of actor(s) Public authority

Location Portugal

Stage of implementation End-of-life

Year of implementation 2007

What was/is being done? Lipor is the entity responsible for the management of around 480 000 tons per year of municipal solid waste around Greater Porto. Lipor also promotes home composting, makes available subsidised composting bins, provides compost training as well as other ways of managing bio-waste including on-site composting in schools, companies and other institutions. This program is targeting the placement of 10.000 composting bins. The Terra à Terra - Home Composting Project aims to promote the organic waste reduction at households, schools, institutions and companies of Lipor’s Municipalities. The 10.000 composting bins are given for free to the participants after attending a 3 hour free composting session. Lipor commits itself to provide continuous assistance to the participants through answering the phone or giving assistance at the residences. The real cost of a compost bin is around 40 € and is financed partly by the cohesion fund and partly by Lipor.

Outcomes and impacts Lipor has so far distributed more than 6.200 composting bins. It is estimated that the home composting project allows for a reduction of more than 480Kg/compost bin/year of bio- waste. With this project the reduction potential is about 4.800 ton bio-waste/year, assuming that 10.000 compost bins are distributed and properly used. Lipor aims to prevent the emission of 845 ton CO2/year (1 ton bio-waste incinerated = 0,170 ton CO2).