In the Santiago Metropolitan Region, the program "We're Composting Well" has become one of the most ambitious community composting initiatives to change the way organic waste is managed in homes and communitiesAfter an initial phase focused on families, a new community-based stage is now being promoted, seeking to bring composting to neighborhoods, social organizations, and educational centers.
Far from being an isolated proposal, the project is conceived as a direct response to the problem of organic waste ending up in landfills and dumps, generating methane and contributing to climate changeThrough composting, training, and technical support, the aim is to demonstrate that much of what currently goes to waste can be transformed into compost. a useful resource through the valorization of organic waste for soils and green areas.
A second phase to extend community composting
The Regional Government of Santiago, in partnership with the specialized company Geociclos, has launched the second phase of the program, known as "We Compost Well II", with a focus on community composting throughout the Metropolitan RegionThe goal is to move from individual experiences to collective projects in neighborhoods, community organizations, and educational centers.
This new stage includes an investment exceeding one billion pesos, primarily allocated to infrastructure and technical supportAmong the key measures is the provision of 800 community composters for different organizations interested in jointly managing their organic waste, betting on composting infrastructure that allows for scaling up the results.
They will be able to apply neighborhood associations, senior citizens' clubs, religious communities, and educational establishmentsamong other groups. The idea is that spaces that already bring citizens together will become active points for the recovery of fruit and vegetable scraps and other organic waste.
In parallel, the program includes working with 600 territorial organizations and 200 educational centers in the Metropolitan RegionThis allows us to reach both established neighborhoods and school communities that can incorporate composting into their educational projects. Many of these projects are integrated with initiatives related to schools and practical activities.
Beyond the delivery of equipment, it includes Technical monitoring and ongoing support to ensure that the composters are used correctly and that communities acquire long-term sustainable habits.It's not just about distributing materials, but about building a network of trained and committed people who are responsible for managing their waste.
A project that transforms waste into useful resources
The core philosophy of "We Compost Well" is quite simple but powerful: Food scraps that usually end up in the trash can be turned into natural fertilizer for the soilInstead of ending up in a landfill, where they generate greenhouse gases like methane, this waste is transformed into compost or humus, useful in courses and practices such as organic horticulture activities.
The program promotes that The remains of fruits, vegetables and other organic materials are diverted from the usual waste disposal circuitThrough well-managed composting processes, a fertilizer is obtained that can be used in gardens, urban gardens, community spaces, and municipal green areas.
This logic allows us to address two problems at once: On the one hand, it reduces the volume of waste that reaches landfills; on the other, it generates an input that improves soil quality and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.For many communities, it also represents an opportunity to strengthen urban agriculture projects or improve the neighborhood's green spaces.
Governor Claudio Orrego has insisted that accumulated experience demonstrates that Changing habits in the management of organic waste is possible when tools, training, and support are available.The goal now is to scale that change to a community dimension, where more people can participate and see concrete results in their environment.
To facilitate the adoption of composting, the program integrates awareness campaigns, educational materials and training activities These initiatives are aimed at both community leaders and the general public. The goal is to go beyond the technical aspects and promote a culture where separating organic waste is as routine as taking out the trash.
Results of the first stage: 7.000 family kits and less waste
Before launching on a community scale, "We Compost Well" had already developed a The first phase focused on households in the Metropolitan Region, with 7.000 composting kits delivered to families in the 52 municipalities.That stage served as a laboratory to test the extent to which home composting could reduce the amount of waste coming from each house.
The kits included Individual composters, basic tools and technical guidanceIn addition to guidance from specialized instructors, this support allowed many families, who had never had any contact with composting, to learn the process step by step and have their questions answered along the way.
According to the program's estimates, this experience allowed divert approximately 4.400 tons of organic waste per year from landfillsInstead of ending up buried, that waste became around 728 tons of compost or humus annually, which were used as a natural fertilizer in different environments.
The environmental impact was not limited to the volume of waste. The data collected indicate that The first stage prevented the emission of more than 2.700 tons of COâ‚‚ equivalent per yearThis contributes to reducing the carbon footprint associated with organic waste management in the region. This improvement is largely explained by the reduction in methane that would have been generated in landfills.
In terms of daily habits, participating households reported a decrease of approximately 38% in the generation of household wasteBy systematically separating organic waste and using it in the compost bin, the amount of conventional garbage bagged was significantly reduced, which also meant less frequent use of the bag and a lower volume of waste in street containers.
For many families, composting became a practice integrated into the daily routine, connected to their own plants, urban gardens or green spacesThis experience is what they now want to transfer to the community sphere, where the results can be even greater if more people participate and efforts are coordinated in the same space.
Environmental and social impact of community composting
Andrea Arriagada, the project manager at Geociclos, points out that Community composting has a dual purpose: it reduces pressure on landfills and strengthens the social fabric of neighborhoods.When a community organizes itself to separate waste and manage a compost bin, it is not only acting in favor of the environment, it is also creating spaces for meeting and collaboration.
From an environmental point of view, Organic waste is one of the most voluminous components of household waste in ChileHowever, only about 1% of that material is currently recycled. The rest usually ends up in landfills, where, as it decomposes uncontrollably, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas with a much higher warming potential than COâ‚‚.
Programs like "We Compost Well" are aimed precisely at To reverse this reality, we can ensure that organic waste remains in a natural cycle and does not become a climate problem.Every kilogram of food scraps that goes into a composter, instead of going to the trash, represents fewer emissions and more nutrients that return to the soil.
At the community level, the project has shown that Compost bins can be transformed into meeting points where neighbors, students and organizations coordinate, learn and share responsibilitiesThis dynamic strengthens trust between people, encourages participation, and opens the door to other neighborhood environmental initiatives.
For schools, community composting becomes a very practical educational tool for working on science, environment and citizenshipStudents can observe the decomposition process, understand the matter cycle, and see how the remains from the school cafeteria are transformed into fertilizer for the green areas of the school itself.
"We Compost Well II" facing the challenge of organic waste in Chile
The context in which "Nos Compostamos Bien II" unfolds is clear: Organic waste represents a very important fraction of the garbage generated daily in Chilean households, but only a minimal part is utilized.This combination puts constant pressure on waste management systems and landfills in the Metropolitan Region.
By focusing on community composting, the program aims moving towards a more responsible waste management and circular economy modelwhere separating organic waste and transforming it into compost is a widespread practice. This approach is related to broader strategies of circular economy and bioeconomy.
The leap to the community scale, with hundreds of organizations and educational centers involved, can multiply the environmental and social benefits, provided that technical support and training are maintainedThe challenge is no longer just for each family to manage their food scraps, but for entire neighborhoods to organize themselves to recover a significant portion of their waste.
Underlying this is also the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the waste sectorIn a scenario where the fight against climate change is gaining importance in public policy, these types of programs are positioned as concrete and measurable tools to move in that direction; in addition, regulatory support such as binding reuse and recycling targets contribute to that framework.
With the combination of community composters, distribution of kits, awareness campaigns, technical support and participation of social and educational organizations, "We Compost Well" is consolidating itself as An example of how local management of organic waste can generate environmental, economic, and social benefits simultaneouslyThe challenge now is to maintain the pace, expand the network of participants, and make composting a natural part of the daily lives of more and more people.
