Community Composting in Bucharest
A consortium consisting of 3 associations, 1 initiative group, and environmental experts from Bucharest will implement a project in the next year aimed at promoting local community composting and thus saving tons of organic waste from landfills.
The project is called Compost Academy and was developed by ClimatoSfera, Culturalis Association, Mărțișor Community Orchard, Association for Sustainable Consumption, together with experts from ECOTECA and Urban Cultor. The project is funded by the Bucharest Environmental Platform, a program initiated by the Bucharest Community Foundation and ING Bank Romania, through a round also supported by Nhood Romania.
You can find out more details about the proposed actions at the launch event, which will take place on Thursday, November 23, from 10:00 to 13:00, at the National Museum of Romanian Literature, Nicolae Crețulescu Street 8. To participate, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/RgN5RXU7hZv8kCkDA.
What the Compost Academy project entails
Through the Compost Academy, the initiators aim to promote Local Community Composting (LCC) of non-hazardous compostable waste in areas near homes in Bucharest. From their experience and that of other European communities that have implemented this practice, LCC is the most efficient method for sustainable management of non-hazardous organic waste (SMOW). Moreover, it has a positive impact on activating and educating urban micro-communities for a harmonious lifestyle with nature.
To achieve this, over the next 12 months, the consortium will carry out a series of actions aimed at changing the mindset of authorities and the general public regarding composting: ● prevention: events to maintain existing composting stations in Bucharest, through which 4.5 tons of waste have already been saved from landfills ● education: training sessions, video tutorials, and support for expanding the network of community composting spaces ● advocacy: participatory development of a normative and operational framework for sustainable bio-waste management. Thus, the organizations involved hope that the Compost Academy will contribute to increasing awareness and practice of LCC in the community.
Next steps for the Compost Academy
The first event of the project, specifically dedicated to representatives of public institutions (local administration departments - sanitation, green spaces, education, as well as the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Education), will take place on Thursday, November 23, from 10:00 to 13:00, at the National Museum of Romanian Literature in Bucharest, Nicolae Crețulescu Street, no. 8. To participate, please register using this form: https://forms.gle/RgN5RXU7hZv8kCkDA.
The second event, dedicated to the general public, the first Compost Cafe of the project, will take place on Sunday, November 26, at 11:00 AM, at the first community composting station near Parc Cinema Floreasca (the apartment building garden, Ludwig van Beethoven St., no. 2, sector 2, Bucharest). To confirm your attendance and get more details about participation, please register here: https://forms.gle/VAPo2Jtdobpo5eYo7
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Details about coordinators, funders, and partners
The organization coordinating the project implementation is the ClimatoSfera Association. Through its projects, ClimatoSfera contributes to raising awareness of climate change and undertakes concrete actions to redefine current society into one that is sustainable for people and the planet. The Compost Academy project is only possible with the support of:
- The National Museum of Romanian Literature, by providing the space for events and for all its support as an organizing partner
Partners Bucharest Community Foundation, ING Bank Romania, Nhood Romania, through funding granted by the strategic program of the Bucharest Environmental Platform.
For more details about the funding program and initiatives of the Bucharest Environmental Platform, you can visit www.platformademediu.ro
Contact for press and more details:
Gabriela Iordan, project coordinator, gabriela.iordan@gmail.com, 0740 231 096
NOTES:
The Bucharest Environmental Platform has selected 2 projects for the third round funded by ING Bank Romania and Nhood Romania. This round was designed to support innovation and sustainable development in waste management and the circular economy in Bucharest, with a total budget of 300,000 lei. Winners:
- ClimatoSfera Association – Compost Academy ADC, budget 200,000 lei, an education and advocacy project to encourage local community composting.
Nod Makerspace Association – Dâmbovița Apă Dulce, budget 100,000 lei, a pilot project for a technical solution for waste management to improve water quality in the Dâmbovița river.
About the Bucharest Environmental Platform
The Bucharest Environmental Platform, initiated by the Bucharest Community Foundation in collaboration with ING Bank Romania, aims to foster the participatory development of an environmental vision for Bucharest and Ilfov. The platform brings together non-profit organizations, civic initiative groups, public authorities, and companies to create collective impact in the city. The common goal is for Bucharest residents to lead healthy lives, for companies to reduce environmental risks, and for authorities to build sustainable long-term policies.
The Bucharest Environmental Platform is a program developed in partnership with ING Bank and is open to the involvement of all companies wishing to participate. The initiatives with which the Bucharest Environmental Platform started are: The Research Report on the State of the Environment in Bucharest and pilot projects related to Văcărești Natural Park, aerlive.ro, and Urban Green, which have been funded since 2021.
