In Principe, SMILO’s Islands Fund is financing a project to manage and recover bio-waste on the island. The objective is to provide local technicians with waste management technology, and to train them in cooperation with experts from the Spanish city of Pontevedra.
Organic waste management in Principe
What is the project?
Location: Island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe
Thematic: Biodiversity protection
Budget: 3 000€
Partners:
Regional Government of Principe
Local Government of Pontevedra, Spain
Centre for University Extension and Environmental Dissemination of Galicia (CEIDA)
Associação dos Amigos da Reserva da Biosfera
What ARE the objectiveS?
- Transform the bio-waste into a stable final product, not contaminant,
and beneficial for the ground (compost), working on small or very small scale. - Reduce the transport and ex situ treatment of the waste by locally
management bio-waste. - Restrict the entry of products involving generation of waste, focusing
above all on the type of packaging.
How?
- Capacity building activities: technicians from Principe participated to a 6-week “learning-by-doing” training in Pontevedra with local experts and CEIDA.
- Acquisition and shipment of Community Composting Centres (CCC), Individual Composters (INCO),
2 crushers with a capacity to produce a minimum of 5m3/h of crushed material from branches and wood. - Technical follow-up visits on the island and training and awareness campaign for the local population.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
- Reduction of the carbon footprint associated with the reduction of collecting and transporting waste
- Reduction of the use of current landfills
- Reduction of mineral and chemical fertilisers substituted by compost
- Improvement of public health and general sanitary conditions
- Reduction of potential infectious diseases
- Creation of local jobs
REPLICABILITY
A similar project is being implemented on the island of Bolama, Guinea Bissau, benefiting from the experience and expertise of SMILO and partners and technicians from Principe.