INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP "BIODEGRADABLE HOUSEHOLD WASTE" HELD
The City of Kaštela and the utility company Zeleno i modro organized an informative and educational workshop "Biodegradable household waste" for interested citizens in the premises of Villa Nika in Kaštel Stari to inform them about biowaste and the importance of waste sorting. Namely, it should be noted that Zeleno i modro is in the process of distributing biowaste bins, or brown containers, to households, as we announced at PortalAround 4500 thousand will be distributed, and next year the collection of biowaste will also begin, so it is essential to know how and in what way to dispose of this type of waste.
Biodegradable waste is kitchen waste (food preparation waste) and garden or green waste. It makes up almost a third of household waste and is a valuable raw material for the production of quality compost and should never end up in mixed municipal waste because - it is a valuable raw material.
Biowaste represents between 30% and 40% of the mass of municipal waste, depending on conditions such as the population's eating habits, crop cultivation culture, climate, standard of living and level of economic development.
So far, 3500 home composters have been distributed in Kaštela, and this year 4500 brown containers for separate collection of biowaste at the doorstep have been purchased.
- The City of Kaštela and our utility company Zeleno i modro doo, organized this forum to inform citizens about the possibilities of separating biowaste. Zeleno i modro provided 4,500 bins for biowaste, which will begin to be collected next year. Proper separation of waste, including biowaste, increases the reduction of mixed municipal waste by at least another 20%. We hereby invite all citizens to respond to the call of Zeleno i modro and take their own bin for biowaste – said Marija Vučica, Head of Economic Development and EU Funds at the City of Kaštela.
The informative and educational workshop was led by the head of operations at Zeleno i modro doo, Iva Barun, who said that the distribution of brown containers for biowaste has begun and that in 2025, the collection of biowaste at the doorstep will begin.
- Two years ago, we started distributing composters – separation and composting at your doorstep. 3,500 users have taken over the composters. The City of Kaštela purchased containers for separating biodegradable waste through the Environmental Protection Fund, and we started distributing them. We first started in the Radun and Rudin areas, and we hope to start collecting in that area sometime in March. Then, we will move on, throughout Kaštela, with the establishment of a comprehensive collection of biowaste. When biowaste collection is established, the collection of mixed municipal waste will be reduced from twice a week to once a week, and the collection of biodegradable waste will be added once a week – explained Iva Barun.
What to put in the brown bin?
It is disposed of in the brown container. kitchen waste: fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, lettuce leaves, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, etc.; garden and green waste: wilted flowers, branches, fallen leaves, grass clippings, hedges and shrubs, potting soil, fruit and vegetable scraps, etc.; small amounts of other biowaste: tree bark, sawdust, wood chips, pine needles, tea bags, bread and pastry scraps, hair.
What should never be put in the brown bin?
Never put liquid leftovers from cooked food, meat, fish, bones, leather, dairy products, oils and fats, ash, packaging, rubber, hazardous waste, painted and varnished wood waste, biowaste that has been in contact with oil, gasoline, oil and protective paints and pesticides, animal feces and animal litter in the brown container.
Biowaste is disposed of directly into the container, removing all packaging. Particular care should be taken not to dispose of plastic bags, plastic and other packaging, disposable tableware, hazardous chemicals, detergents and similar household products.
Composting is the process of biological decomposition of the organic part of waste. It occurs spontaneously in nature. It is a cheap and natural process that turns kitchen and garden (green) waste into a valuable raw material rich in nutrients for the soil. It is easy to make and use. By composting, we contribute to reducing the amount of waste by as much as 30%, and by using the humus created in this process, we reduce the need for the use of artificial mineral fertilizers, which can also be harmful to the environment.
What can we put in compost?
We can put tea bags, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, fruit and vegetable peels, old flowers, medicinal herbs - nettle, yarrow, dandelion and chamomile, coffee grounds and filter bags in the compost.
"Green" nitrogen-rich ingredients accelerate decomposition and ensure the moisture of the compost pile.
“Brown” carbon-rich ingredients slow down decomposition and allow the pile to breathe. These include cardboard and non-printed paper, egg cartons, greaseproof paper, dry leaves, sawdust, straw and hay, twigs, tree bark, pine needles, ash from burning, charcoal or wood.
A mixture of "green" and "brown" ingredients in a ratio of 2:1 or 1:1 is recommended.
What shouldn't be in the composter
The composter should not contain meat and meat leftovers, cooked vegetables, dairy products, diapers and pads, diseased plants, animal feces, walnut leaves, cans, cartons, painted or varnished wood, coal and brown coal ash, barbecue charcoal, biowaste that has been in contact with oil, gasoline, oil-based and protective paints.
Photo: Andrej Valentić
