The Home Composting Network starts

by Oliver Weathon

The 20th of November saw the start of ‘Rete Italiana Compostatori Domestici ‘(the Italian Network of Home Composting), a project aimed at creating a home composting network between towns, villages, public administrations, and of course, individual citizens. The objective of the program is to increase communication between people to make it easier for them to take part in home or local community composting.

The commitment of the network is “to provide experiences, tools, dialogue and commentary on topics of home composting in all its forms, individual and collective”, according to the network’s website. While composting is a very beneficial process, for communities, organizations and individuals, it is often seen as a time consuming and difficult process. The Compostatori Domestici Network can offer different kinds of support to people to enable them to begin home composting.

Composting can benefit individuals, the local community and the environment in many ways. It saves biodegradable materials from the landfill site, and offers a free alternative source of fertile soil which citizens can either use in their own gardens or donate to their neighbors or local communal green areas. Anyone is able to join the network, so schools can take advantage of the benefits it offers, not just in reducing their waste, but also in educating young children about home composting and waste reduction. Like schools, public administrations, companies and organization which take part in the network will also fell economical benefits. An increase in composting of food waste and other biodegradable materials mean a decrease on the amount of many spent in the collection and disposal of these waste products, meaning that the Compostatori Domestici Network will benefit participants economically, as well as benefitting the environment.

The official start date for the Network was on the 20th of November, when an event was held in Capannori (in the Province of Lucca) during the “Seminario Internazionale Rifiuti Zero” (the International Seminar on Zero Waste). During this seminar, key figures in the field of waste reduction signed the Initiative.

The website of the network (www.noicompostiamo.it) not only provides advice and support on composting, but also coordinates the different national territories in their participation of the network. It also urges public Administrator and local Governments to promote individual and communal composting, emphasizing the fact that it is one of the simplest and most effective means of waste reduction, and something that everyone can take part in.

While the network officially started on November 20, before then participants were invited to sign the “Manifesto dei Compostatori Domestic” (the Home Composting Manifesto) on the website to pledge their support and commitment to the project.