The municipality of Zlaté Moravce, in the southwestern region of Nitra in Slovakia, has boosted its promotion of sustainable development by acquiring 2 042 garden composters for residents. Thanks to the project, the city’s waste management system has significantly improved and collection and related costs have been reduced.
- 29 May 2020
The project has reduced the cost of collection and removal of biodegradable municipal waste from households. We have used the saved funds to further promote and protect the environment in and around the city.
The project set out to lower the volume of biologically degradable waste collected by the city, to prevent illegal waste dumping and improve its waste management system. The acquisition of garden composters for the city’s households has positively affected the environment and the local economy.
Producing your own quality compost
By letting residents of Zlate Moravce process their own biologically degradable waste, local landfills increased their capacity to process other kinds of rubbish. Making citizens more active participants in waste processing has helped eliminate illegal waste dumps around the city.
Each of the composters has a capacity of 400 litres. The resulting compost is rich in nutrients and residents can use it for cultivating fruits and vegetables. They also save money buying fertiliser. Any surplus can be left in the composter or is collected by the city for use in its green areas.
Saving money
The distribution of the composters has reduced the number of waste collection runs, saving the municipality money. This has allowed the city to further promote efficient use of renewable resources and sustainable development beyond the project’s scope.
Overall, the project has helped increase people’s environmental awareness and improved their relationship with nature.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “AGCHTZM – Acquisition of garden composters for households in the town of Zlaté Moravce” is EUR 160 991, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 136 842 through the “Quality of Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Sustainable use of natural resources through development of environmental infrastructure”.