The Aldeia do Xisto of Cerdeira, in Lousã, started a community composting project, as part of the "Aldeias Resíduos Zero” (Zero Waste Villages) initiative. A cooperation protocol was signed between the Borough Council and Cerdeira - Home for Creativity, and a community compost bin was delivered to this organisation along with 30 containers for organic waste. It should be noted that, within the scope of this protocol, the Council also undertakes to provide a specialist technician to accompany the process and provide all the information relevant to the process.
All recoverable waste generated in Cerdeira will be selectively collected or locally treated (community composting), with low environmental impact and a reduced carbon footprint, also demonstrating the advantage of simple technologies such as composting in rotating drums.
This process is especially useful in mountain areas with freezing winter temperatures. This procedure, common in central and northern Europe, allows for the decomposition of waste without releasing unpleasant odours.
The Zero Waste Villages initiative, funded by the Sustainability and Resource Efficiency Operational Programme (POSEUR), under the aegis of Portugal 2020, is a contribution to PERSU2020’s "Vision for municipal waste management", considering that "the new approach to waste management goes beyond the ambition of a society focused on minimizing the environmental impacts associated with waste management, and adopts the paradigm of a circular economy, with optimization of material and energy resources".
