Urban Ecosystem Restoration Measures
The Municipality of Goicoechea is located in the province of San José, capital of the Republic of Costa Rica. It has a population of 130,000 inhabitants. One of the main environmental problems facing this province and municipality is the treatment of solid waste. This is mainly done in a sanitary landfill. This is aggravated by the fact that the useful life of these facilities (sanitary landfills) is nearing its end, as they are almost full. On the other hand, this treatment increases greenhouse gas emissions and causes many useful materials to be buried without being able to be properly used. This is why we have started a home compositng project for the people of Goicoechea.
By lending household compost bins to the population and providing the corresponding training, the main point is to ensure that biodegradable organic waste is processed at home so that it does not end up in the sanitary landfill. Studies carried out in the province of San José indicate that almost 50% of the waste produced by the population is biodegradable waste.
The compost produced by the families participating in this project becomes a material that is used to grow food or enrich the soil of home gardens. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions, contributes to strengthening food sovereignty and prevents this biodegradable material from being buried in a landfill. The richness produced with compost not only generates food, but also produces flowering plants that feed pollinating organisms and strengthen and beautify gardens.
The neighbors of the municipality interested in this project, fill out a form and keep participating in it. They are given the compost bin and a series of trainings on the correct elaboration of compost and its uses in agriculture. In this way we also promote food sovereignty, while avoiding the generation of excess greenhouse gases and ensuring that this material returns to enrich the soil. The participants have shown great interest in the results obtained, which is why this measure is expected to continue to grow over time.
