NEWS! If you live in Ormos Korthi, you can now compost your food waste. Simply join the Korthi Composting Project. This initiative is being run in cooperation with the SIRCLES (Supporting Circular Economy Opportunities for Employment and Social Inclusion) project and the Municipality of Andros.
Read more about Korthi Composting
Why Compost?
On Andros, there are severe issues with the volume of waste we create. Reducing this waste is important to all of us. Around 44%* of household waste is organic waste – that is, waste food from your kitchen or garden. Today, most of this waste is thrown into our bins.
- This waste is smelly, attracts lots of animals and rodents
- This is unpleasant for any unfortunate residents who live nearby.
- In the summer months, it is especially unpleasant
- It is unhealthy and an eyesore for residents and visitors
Any waste that isn’t separated is taken to the temporary waste site at Stavropeda, where, eventually, it will be transported out of Andros at some cost. We can reduce these issues and the volume of waste we generate by making a few simple changes to start composting.
What is Compost?
- The word compost comes from the English word compost, which has its root in the Latin word composites!
- Composting is an entirely natural process that turns organic materials into a rich dark substance. This substance is called compost or humus, or soil conditioner and can enrich the soil in your garden.
- Compost can be made by putting organic waste into a bin. With the help of oxygen, the correct ratio of carbon and nitrogen, the warm temperature in the bin, and the microorganisms (earthworms are placed in the larger bins), the waste decomposes and is converted into a natural soil improver.
- After a few months, this organic waste will have transformed effortessly into a ready-to-use compost that can be used to revitalise the soil in your garden.
How can I Compost?
- If you live in Chora you can use the Chora Compost Service to dispose of your organic waste.
Read more about this service
If you live in Ormos Korthi, you can now compost your food waste.
Simply join the Korthi Composting Project. This initiative is being run in cooperation with the SIRCLES (Supporting Circular Economy Opportunities for Employment and Social Inclusion) project and the Municipality of Andros.
Read more about Korthi Composting
- Compost your own organic waste at home. For very little cost you can reduce waste and make a soil improver for your garden
Read more about how to make your own compost
- Compost Services in Batsi & Gavrio : More information coming soon on a new composting initiative in Batsi and Gavrio areas.
The Chora Compost Service
History
In 2011, a Composter was donated to the Municipality of Andros – The Chora composter has a capacity of 15 cubic meters.
Today
The compost service operates in the area of Chora only. Special Brown Compost bins are located in convenient places around Chora, where you can drop your organic home and garden waste.
The Composter
The composter is a machine running on electricity and operated by a trained person. A large variety of organic waste including meat and dairy products can be turned into compost here. The machine stirs the compost, controlling and regulating the temperature and humidity. Eventually rich dark compost is produced.
The Service
Today the service operates on a pilot basis in the Chora area. There are special brown compost bins in specific places around the town,
Just drop your organic waste off in one of the brown bins in Chora or take it to the CHORA COMPOST CENTER (situated in the former slaughterhouses of Chora). Garden waste, with branches up to 2cm thick, can be disposed of at the Chora Compost Service. Bulky garden waste with thicker branches can be left next to the Shredder, which is located just opposite the CHORA COMPOST CENTER.
Look for “Chora – Shredder” on the map.
The Compost
Ready to use compost is available at the Chora Compost Center, for use in your garden or farm. Please send an SMS text to Mr Jorgos, tel. 6976880142, to agree a time to pick up your compost.
Composting at Ormos Korthi
The Ormos Korthi Composting Project
This Project is an initiative in cooperation with SIRCLES and the Municipality of Andros.
How to join the Ormos Korthi Composting Project
You can now stop putting your food waste into your general waste bin. Instead, collect your food waste and bring it to the composting service in Ormos Korthi.
The service is aimed at households and businesses in Ormos Korthi. You can join by applying at the KEP office in Ormos Korthi. You will get a short introduction to the service; an information leaflet will be provided about composting and a key to access the locked orange bins to deposit your waste. In the future, SIRCLES will provide you with a plastic basket and compostable bags for your food waste.
Where do I take my food waste?
Orange bins have been placed in convenient locations all around Ormos Korthi. Just ask at the KEP if you can’t find one easily.
The pilot composting unit is located at the Korthi municipal sewage treatment plant, next to the Ag. Fanourious chapel
Our Clean Green Andros bin location map will be updated shortly with the orange bin locations and the composting plant.
What can I compost?
You can collect most of your food waste for composting. Please take care to avoid those items that are not suitable, like meat bones, liquids, and kitchen towels.
To join – visit the KEP office in Ormos Korthi in the old Municipality Building,
- Tel 2822360320
- Monday to Friday
- 10:00 till 14:00
Any Questions?
Contact Ms Anna Fragou at the Municipality
- Tel 2282360200 or 2282360221
- or email dimos@andros.gr
SIRCLES
The SIRCLES project
A project Supporting Circular Economy Opportunities for Employment and Social Inclusion
The service in Ormos Korthi started in November 2022. SIRCLES provided the composters – (the closed wooden boxes), a small truck for collecting waste, a shredder for shredding garden waste, a mixer for mixing and shredding composting material before adding it to the composters, and several large lockable orange bins for collecting organic waste. These are placed in convenient central spots in Ormos Korthi. They will be emptied on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Most businesses in Ormos Korthi have also subscribed to the scheme (hotels, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, and bakeries). They received an orange bin and plastic bags to collect waste for composting.
SIRCLES and sustainability
The initiative is sustainable! All the electricity to run the plant machinery is provided by solar panels. All water is supplied by a biological sewage plant next to the composters. It is planned to compost the treated sewage sludge.
SIRCLES has recruited and organised training
Ten people from Andros have already been recruited (women and the unemployed were given preference). They have been trained by the National Technical University of Athens and the Organization Earth program to work in compost collection and in using composting equipment. Sircles is planning to train ten more people. The composting team will work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The future
The municipality of Andros plans to take over the service and run it without the funding and support of SIRCLES in September/October 2023.
- Composting in Andros
S T A R T T O D A Y !
Your organic waste is a valuable resource. Please don’t put it in the general waste. For a cleaner and greener Andros!!