Promotion of Decentralised Composting

Type of practice Recycle

Name of practice Promotion of Decentralised Composting

Name of main actor Brussels Environment

Type of actor(s) Public authority

Location Belgium

Stage of implementation End-of-life

Year of implementation 1999

What was/is being done? Brussels Capitale Region has one million inhabitants, of which about 37% have a garden. It is estimated that these gardens generate 30,000 tonnes of green waste (30 kg/inh/year). To this must be added over 50,000 tonnes of food waste. Kitchen waste is not collected selectively and disposed of with the general refuse, all of which is incinerated. Weekly separate collection of garden waste is a service offered in 13 out of 19 municipalities (in 2011) from spring to autumn. The collected garden waste (more than 10 000 tonnes/year) is composted in a centralised composting unit. The objective of the project is the promotion of decentralised composting in Brussels Capital Region, including (1) individual garden composting of garden and kitchen waste; (2) individual vermicomposting (indoor composting of kitchen waste with worms); and (3) community composting. The target of the 2010 Waste plan is to reduce garden waste by 5 kg/inhab/year by 2013 and by 12kg/inhab/year (12,000 T) by 2020 compared to 2005. This involves maintaing a compost master network, providing information tools and supporting community composting projects. The network of Compost Masters, trained voluntary citizens who inform the population on composting and how to solve the main difficulties encountered, was established. Since 2000, 350 Compost Masters have been trained. Short training sessions were also offered for the general public by the subcontractors of Brussels Environment since 2003: theoretical evening class followed by a visit of a demonstration site.

Outcomes and impacts Population reached by the action (estimate): 6% by 2003 and 10% by 2008 and 12% in 2010. Among the population, awareness about composting and the share actively composting is estimated through surveys: according to survey results from March 2009, among inhabitants who have garden waste, more than 30% are composting it at home or at a community compost. Overall, about 15% of the region's population now participates in decentralised composting. Decentralised composting of garden & kitchen waste is currently estimated at 6 000 tonnes/year (i.e.about 6 kg/inhabitant). Quantities of kitchen and garden waste gathered by community composts in 2010 were estimated at 85 tonnes (about 65 kg/participating inhabitant, based on data collected at one pilot community composting site).