The Tías City Council, through the Agroecology and Rural Development Office located in the sociocultural center of Mácher, has launched a pilot composting project with the aim of promoting sustainable management of bio-waste in which all citizens can participate.
The project is being developed in the Tegoyo community garden and includes the construction of seven composters and the acquisition of a bio-shredder for the treatment of plant remains. The composters, designed in a U-shape, will occupy a total area of 31.5 m² and will be managed by the community garden team.
For the purchase of the bio-shredder and the materials to assemble the composter, 9,534.28 euros have been allocated. This initiative has been co-financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, managed in Lanzarote by Aderlan.
The mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, and the councilor for Agriculture and Citizen Participation, Nicolás Saavedra, state that "this action is part of the municipal strategy to advance towards a real ecological transition, with special attention to the circular management of organic waste."
The compost obtained will be used for community gardens, schools, senior centers, public gardens, and farmers in the municipality, thus reducing the need to acquire external fertilizers and decreasing the amount of waste sent to the island landfill.
Community composting not only contributes to efficient waste management but also helps to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil quality. By preventing organic waste from ending up in landfills, the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is reduced. In addition, the resulting compost enriches the soil, improves its ability to capture carbon, and reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.