Implementing Composting and Awareness Campaigns in a Higher Education Institution to Promote Circularity

Ana Lúcia Craveiro, Maria Teresa Santos and Alexandra Rodrigues ()
Additional contact information
Ana Lúcia Craveiro: Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa—ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal
Maria Teresa Santos: Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa—ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal
Alexandra Rodrigues: UniRE—Unit for Innovation and Research in Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa—ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-22

Abstract: Sustainable waste management is essential for environmental protection and climate change mitigation. In mainland Portugal, 59% of municipal waste was sent to landfills in 2023, while only 8% underwent organic valorization. Domestic composting offers low-cost, local solutions to reduce landfill dependency and promote a circular economy. When produced with quality, compost can be used in parks and gardens, improving soil structure, supplying nutrients for plants, and promoting water retention. This study describes the implementation of a composting program at a Higher Education Institution in Lisbon, focusing on community engagement, awareness-raising actions, process monitoring, and challenges faced. The training sessions increased the participants’ knowledge, who reported personal constraints in urban areas, such as limited space and slow composting rates. The results from the composting assays showed that the temperature and the pH followed the expected patterns, with the pH ranging from 4 to 9. Although the composting process progressed satisfactorily, the maximum temperature reached was approximately 45 °C, a value that can occur in home composting systems. The compost analysis showed a mature compost with pH values around 8, a dark color, and an earthy smell, proper for use. Nonetheless, challenges remain, including contaminants found in some composters and the need for increased community participation and awareness to fully engage all stakeholders.

Keywords: composting; HEI campus; sustainability; circular economy; waste management improvement; biowaste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8446/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8446/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8446-:d:1754006

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().