EPA Establishes Composting Center in Tijuana

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is helping to battle waste and improve recycling along the U.S. border with Mexico by providing a special grant to the border city of Tijuana to help establish an urban center for composting food waste and organic materials.

The Mexican not for profit group, Tijuana Calidad de Vida, is working with city officials from Tijuana to take organic waste materials supplied by city collection efforts and turn it into landscape grade compost.

It is expected that the new compost center will produce close to one hundred and fifty tons of compost material in its initial year of operation. The compost will in turn be used to plant trees and landscaping within the city, improving air quality and quality of life for residents, tourists, and businesses.

The composting initiatives is also expected to protect the watershed area between San Diego, CA and Tijuana by keeping the organic materials and food scraps out of regional landfills.

The grant is offered through the Border 2020 U.S.-Mexico Environmental program, which strives to improve environmental quality and public health in geographic areas along the border.

In addition to composting, the center will also work to increase public knowledge about the important economic and environmental benefits of recycling, re-use and composting.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Environmental and economic concerns don’t end at borders between counties, states, or countries. If your business is on a border, play it smart and see how improving your waste recycling and disposal can better the region as a whole. You might be able to save green and make some green at the same time!