RECICLO ORGÁNICOS

Chile
Canadian Government, Chilean Government, Arcadis

Reciclo Orgánicos is a program developed by design consultancy Arcadis alongside the federal governments of Canada and Chile to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Chile’s municipal waste sector. Seven communities across Chile are being support to divert 6,000 metric tons of organic waste from landfills, which will capture over 70,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. The program is part of the 1997 Chile-Canada Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, in which Canada is helping Chile to meet its greenhouse gas emissions goals under the Paris Agreement. Reciclo Orgánicos is a four year program funded by seven million Canadian dollars to build the capacity and technical assistance to reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, public-private funding is used and the results of the program are part of a scientific study to determine the most successful organic waste recycling techniques. The program will be passed to the Chilean Ministry of Environment in 2021 to design a nationwide expansion using the initial phase of the program. The program uses three techniques, biogas production, composting and anaerobic digestion. Extensive community engagement and education is required to train residents to sort organic waste separately from plastics and inorganic waste. The communities selected as part of the study are from across the country, from Talca, home to the second largest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in Chile where these perishable materials are being compotsed to Rapa Nui, one of the most remote islands in the world, where a small-scale composting facility is being assessed to separate organic matter.

2018 - ongoing
1500 feet above sea level

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