The Municipality of Santa Cruz will distribute 390 composters free of charge to families and institutions in the canton so that they can get involved in managing organic waste appropriately (food scraps, peels, spoiled food, etc.).
With a composter, a family can transform this waste into fertilizer and use it to improve the quality of the soil in their gardens and home vegetable patches. In addition, managing organic waste in their homes reduces bad odors and the liquids produced by garbage – called leachates – that are released by natural decomposition and that we often see on sidewalks or in garbage containers inside homes.
For the local government of Santa Cruz, encouraging composting also means reducing the volume of garbage that reaches the municipal landfill and ends up emitting greenhouse gases.
The project, called “MuniComposta desde mi hogar” (MuniCompost from my home) is part of a series of initiatives that the municipality has been developing since 2019, when the Greenhouse Gas Inventory was carried out.
With the study, they determined that 10.13% of the total emissions in the canton came from waste and, of these gases, more than 70% were caused by the inadequate disposal of solid waste in landfills, the product of the decomposition of organic materials.
Subsequently, the environmental education department promoted a pilot plan for community composting, in 2021 in the Corobicí neighborhood, with which the community transformed its perception of waste separation.
Each composter that registered families or institutions will receive is valued at amounts ranging from ¢60,000 to ¢120,000 (about $120 to $240). In addition to the device, the beneficiaries receive training and support visits for 16 weeks.
To participate, you must be up to date with municipal taxes, provide the land’s property number or plan, and have a 1.5 meter by 1.5 meter space where the composting equipment can be placed.
The municipality is keeping the registration open, waiting for more people to join. If you need support to complete it, please contact the Environmental Management office at 2680-5901 or Beatriz at WhatsApp 88151470.
Editor’s note: This article was edited on February 20 to indicate that the muni is still keeping registration available, due to the lack of interested people.
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