The implementation of community composting networks is gaining traction in various parts of the country, with new collection and treatment points for organic waste managed locally and shared among neighbors. This model, designed to bring the circular economy closer to citizens' daily lives, is beginning to establish itself as a viable alternative to conventional organic waste management.
In recent months, districts, island councils, and municipalities across Spain have launched new community composting sites , accompanied by training workshops, door-to-door information campaigns, and, in some cases, discounts on garbage collection fees for those who join the system. The idea is simple: food scraps and small garden waste are transformed into a useful resource, practically without leaving the neighborhood.
The Aiaraldea community composting network reaches six zones
In the Aiaraldea region of Álava, the community composting network has taken a significant leap forward with the opening of two new areas : one in the Arraño neighborhood of Laudio, and another in El Soto-Zaldua, in Artziniega. With these additions, the region now has six operational composting sites spread across the municipalities of Amurrio, Ayala, Artziniega, and Laudio.
The new Arraño area represents the first community composting zone in Laudio , while El Soto-Zaldua becomes the second such location in Artziniega, which already had one in the Axpe neighborhood. These are joined by zones located in Izoria (Ayala) , and in the Ugartebetxi neighborhood and the area around the Zabaleko school (Amurrio) , forming a regional network that promotes a local, decentralized, and sustainable model for managing organic waste.
The local council emphasizes that the main objective of this network is the community-based management of household organic waste . Participating families deposit their cooked and raw animal and plant-based waste into the composters, following simple guidelines provided by the technical staff. This professional oversight ensures a proper composting process and the correct use of the facilities.
Currently, around 300 families are part of the Aiaraldea community composting network . In addition to reducing the volume of waste sent to industrial treatment or landfills, participants receive the resulting compost , a high-quality natural fertilizer they can use in their gardens and allotments, thus closing the organic matter cycle within the community itself.
Looking ahead, the local council plans to continue expanding the community composting network until the end of 2026. To this end, they are scheduling home composting workshops and establishing new composting areas in local council districts and residential neighborhoods. One of the upcoming courses will be held at the Okondo cultural center, where participants will learn in detail how to get started with home composting and how to join the community network.
Membership sessions, direct contact and public funding
To facilitate the integration of new households, the Aiaraldea District Council has organized specific membership and launch sessions in the newly created zones. In the case of Arraño (Laudio), an open meeting is planned at the Kultur Etxea (cultural center), where technical staff will explain how the zone works, answer questions, and register those who wish to participate.
Residents of nearby neighborhoods will receive an informational brochure at their homes inviting them to these sessions, so that anyone interested can learn firsthand how the network works. For those unable to attend but wishing to participate, a direct contact channel with the Cuadrilla is available via email and telephone , allowing them to join the project without any major complications.
This initiative to promote community composting in Aiaraldea has institutional financial backing . The project is funded by the Basque Government's Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability and by the Álava Provincial Council, as part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of waste management.
Financial support is not limited to the installation of composters and the preparation of the areas. It also covers community outreach, technical monitoring, and awareness-raising activities , all of which are considered key to the network's long-term viability and to ensuring the neighborhood's continued commitment to separating and utilizing organic waste.
Discounts on the garbage collection fee for those who join the network
The establishment of new community composting sites in the region has gone hand in hand with regulatory changes and financial incentives for users. Several municipalities in Aiaraldea have opted to introduce discounts on waste collection fees to reward those who choose home or community composting.
In municipalities like Amurrio, Ayala, and Okondo, discounts of around 10% are already applied to the garbage collection fee for households that join these systems. In Artziniega, local political groups have proposed expanding and strengthening these discounts, with proposals that include reductions of up to 15% for different types of households , from single-person households to large families or those in vulnerable situations.
In addition to these reductions linked to community composting, environmental education campaigns are underway, focusing on waste reduction , source separation, and the promotion of responsible habits. The talks, workshops, and outreach activities aim not only to inform but also to consolidate a culture of shared responsibility in waste management throughout the region.
This approach, combining composting infrastructure, training, and incentives, aims to ensure that more and more households see composting not as an obligation, but as an opportunity to save money, care for the environment, and have a useful resource for their own green spaces. The idea is for this change in habits to be lasting and socially accepted.
La Palma strengthens its community composting network with the La Palma Orgánica project
Beyond the Iberian Peninsula, the La Palma Island Council is also investing in community composting as a key component of its waste management strategy. As part of the La Palma Orgánica project , three new Community Composting Zones (CCZs) are being created in the municipalities of Breña Alta, El Paso, and Los Llanos de Aridane.
These facilities, scheduled to open soon, will allow for the decentralization of the treatment of organic waste from households in selected areas. The aim is for food waste and other household biowaste to be transformed on-site into a resource usable by the community itself , avoiding unnecessary transport and reducing the associated environmental cost.
The island's waste management officer emphasized that these types of facilities promote shared responsibility among citizens and self-management . By locating the Community Composting Zones (ZCCs) in strategic neighborhoods, the aim is for residents to incorporate community composting into their daily routine, taking an active role in managing their organic waste.
The project is financed through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan , with Next Generation EU funds, and involves the participation of the Island Council's Waste Management Department and the collaboration of the Association for Rural Development (ADER) of La Palma . This institutional and social alliance is key to coordinating the implementation, technical monitoring, and support actions for the community.
To ensure that the Composting Zones (ZCCs) start with a high level of participation, a door-to-door information campaign is planned prior to their opening. Technical teams will visit homes in the surrounding area to explain how the composting areas work, distribute informational materials, and answer questions. In addition, communication will be reinforced through posters in the participating neighborhoods.
Asturias promotes the community composting network in urban gardens
Elsewhere in Spain, Asturias is developing its own community composting network with the support of the waste management consortium Cogersa and several local councils. One of the most recent initiatives focuses on the urban gardens of Valgranda and Tabiella, where new composting areas have been set up for the users of these plots.
To support the launch of the network, Cogersa and the City Council have organized informational and training sessions for those who have been allocated allotments in the Valgranda community gardens. These meetings explain the benefits of community composting, both in terms of resource utilization and reducing environmental impact , as well as detailing the correct use of the composting area installed on the premises.
The model being promoted in Asturias is based on decentralized management of the organic waste fraction , especially suitable for rural areas or those with lower population density, far from industrial treatment plants. Community composting sites allow for on-site recycling of food scraps and small amounts of pruning and mowing waste generated by those who live or farm nearby.
Within this plan, Cogersa is responsible for providing the necessary material and human resources to launch each community composting area. This includes the modules where waste is deposited and the composting process itself takes place, the preparation of the space on municipally owned land, and the monitoring of the facility's operation.
Furthermore, the program includes regular training sessions and monitoring to ensure the proper use of the areas and the correct maturation of the compost. The implementation of these zones is part of a project with a 2026 horizon, partially funded by Next Generation EU funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, reinforcing the institutional commitment to this type of decentralized solution.
Taken together, the experiences of Aiaraldea, La Palma, and Asturias demonstrate how community composting networks are becoming established in various parts of Spain as an effective tool for treating organic matter locally, involving the population in waste management, and generating a useful resource for gardens and allotments. The combination of dedicated infrastructure, technical support, awareness campaigns, and, in some cases, financial incentives, is helping more and more people see community composting as a practical and accessible way to contribute to a more sustainable waste management model.
