Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Composting: MetLAC Webinar Highlights – Experiences in Brazil, Chile and Colombia

In the context of the 2024 International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), the Community of Practice on Reducing Methane Emissions from Organic Sources in Latin America and the Caribbean (CoP MetLAC) hosted the webinar “Composting in Latin America and the Caribbean: Experiences, Benefits and Challenges” on May 8.

The CoP MetLAC is a joint initiative between the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), ImplementaSur and the Regional LEDS LAC Platform, funded by the Global Methane Hub (GMH). Its goal is to promote and support the development of public policies, business models and investment projects to reduce methane emissions from organic sources in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The webinar kicked off with welcoming remarks from Aida Lorenzo, coordinator of the CoP MetLAC. She was followed by Pedro Rizzo, president of the Argentine Composting Association (ASACOMP), who delivered an introductory presentation on the topic. The panel, moderated by Graciela Hernández from ImplementaSur, provided insights into successful cases from three countries in the region. Laís Ferreira presented the experience from the Polis Institute in Brazil, Ana Carrasco Troncoso shared the community experience of the Santa Juana Municipality in Chile and Diego Fermín Cárdenas discussed his experience from the Control Ambiental facility in Colombia.

Throughout the panel, multiple conceptual and practical aspects, opportunities and challenges to expand the adoption of this technology were explored. Presenters highlighted composting as an option for organic waste management, contributing to improving soil quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions—especially methane— and generating other environmental, economic and social co-benefits.

The importance of involving the local community in composting project design to develop initiatives tailored to local patterns was emphasized, as well as the need to raise awareness on processes and training in the management and segregation of organic waste as key elements to ensure long-term project sustainability.

During the discussion, technical challenges and obstacles related to financing sources, particularly in municipalities with limited resources and financial autonomy, were identified. The necessity of promoting innovative and dynamic local management practices was therefore stressed, as well as the support of departmental institutions and the involvement of the private sector.

Furthermore, the importance of adapting composting technologies to the local context and regulating the quality of processes to ensure high-quality products and the effective reduction of greenhouse gases was emphasized.

Additionally, the importance of developing a policy enabling framework that promotes large-scale and community-level composting, solid organic waste management and financing was highlighted, as well as developing policies with a comprehensive approach that incorporates sustainability criteria.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Santiago Uribe of CCAP, who emphasized that composting has multiple benefits for the community and various stakeholders and should be considered within a comprehensive waste valorization and reduction strategy that guides the system toward an innovative, sustainable and long-term design.

Learn more about the CdP MetLAC here: http://bit.ly/metlacmethane