EU project gives second life to organic waste

June 15, 2016
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In order to increase the quantity of green waste that is recycled, the SCOW project (Selective collection of the organic waste in tourist areas and valorisation in farm composting plants), funded under the Cross-Border Cooperation Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme (CBCMed),introduced selective sorting and collection of organic waste and door-to-door collection in 50 municipalities of the Mediterranean area: a total of 17,719 citizens along with 600 businesses and public facilities (among them hotels, restaurants and schools) were involved in organic waste recycling activities.
 
The large amount of waste collected was treated in 14 small scale composting plants, built under the project in all concerned territories. At full capacity, the plants will be able to manage 8,200 tons of organic waste per year and produce 2,300 tons of quality compost. Eventually, the compost generated was used by 60 farmers to increase crops productivity, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
 
To transfer the good practices developed by SCOW, a dedicated MedCompost network was created, offering access to technical reports, best practices catalogue and expertise to guide interested institutions in the design and implementation of plans to efficiently manage and make use of bio-waste.
 
The SCOW project addresses the challenge of increasing waste production in the Mediterranean due to population growth and development of agricultural activities. The initiative targets tourist areas where collected organic waste will be valorised as compost for farmers. The project also aims to foster new job opportunities created by the collection, transport and treatment processes of waste. 
 
The ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2007/2013 is a multilateral cross-border cooperation programme funded by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. It aims at reinforcing cooperation between the EU and partner countries’ regions located along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. (EU Neighbourhood Info
 
Read more
 
 
 
SCOW website

ENPI CBCMED – website
 
Cross-border cooperation – fiche     

Countries covered:

  • Israel
  • Palestine *