CASE STUDY 2: Shared Composting

In early 2022 the municipality of Gabrovo established four shared composting zones covering different target groups, with the aim of providing suitable conditions for implementation, monitoring and realisation of composting – in the yard of a kindergarten and a school, in a residential area and near a hotel in a resort.

The composting bins located in the areas are made of wood, with an opening for the biodegradable materials and a door at the bottom of the composter where the ready compost can be easily and conveniently removed. The areas are surrounded by a wooden fence. Manuals which clearly and accurately describe the steps for a successful composting process have been developed for all participants in shared composting.

Observations show that the target groups actively use the shared composting sites. The advantage of this solution is that adults and children can control the composting process themselves and, when the compost is ready, they can use it in their gardens or in flower pots. User satisfaction is further enhanced by the fact that compost significantly increases soil fertility.

An additional advantage of this solution is that it provides an easy way to recycle biodegradable waste and reduces the cost of servicing household waste bins.

Image: Gabrovo Municipality, project „Implementation of pilot demonstrational project in the field of waste management on the territory of Gabrovo Municipality“

There is a Regional non-hazardous Waste Disposal Site where composting process is carried out using anaerobic technology and involves the processing of leaves, branches, grasses, organic vegetable and fruit waste coming from vegetable shops and companies processing similar products.  Citizens can hand in their vegetable waste from the household, yard waste, etc.