Community composting
Community composting is a form of collective composting which is adapted to the urban environment where, due to lack of space or time, many families cannot compost in their own households. All citizens who participate in this activity can bring their organic waste (fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds, garden waste, etc.). In return, they will receive a bag of the resulting compost.
What is compost?
Compost obtained from community composters is a high quality, natural fertiliser that looks and smells like damp soil. It can be used for house plants, since it releases a large amount of nutrients directly into the soil. Approximately 30 kg of compost can be obtained from every 100 kg of organic matter. Composting is a similar process to that which occurs naturally in forests in the sense that it is carried out by decomposing organisms and, if done correctly, does not cause any nuisance or create unpleasant odours.
How do community composters work?
Each community composter consists of three bins of approximately 1m3, with the capacity to manage the organic waste of 30 to 40 families.
Each module is identified by a single colour:
- Green is the module currently in use, where plant waste must be disposed of
- Yellow is the module that is already full, where the composting process is already underway
- Red is the module containing the finished compost.
How can I participate in community composting?
Barcelona’s community composting service is open to any citizen living in the neighbourhood where the community composter is located. To participate in the scheme you need to bring organic waste from your kitchen, plants or garden, either on a regular or one-off basis. The compost generated is manually filtered before being given back to the participating families on a periodic basis.
All those who wish to participate must register as a family or compostaire household and complete a short training programme.
Consulta el lllistat de compostadors comunitaris al Mapa Barcelona+Sostenible.