Brazil's environmental agencies convene to discuss licensing rules for composting and biodigestion

Renato Trivela, Agronimist at CEPAGRO, understands that “the national meeting with environmental agencies marked an unprecedented milestone in aligning composting licensing, particularly with the launch of the new bulletin that systematizes state regulations. I believe this concerted effort will drive the valorization of urban organic waste in Brazil.”

The three-day workshop paired an extensive exchange of ideas on Brazil’s diverse regional contexts and existing regulations with the chance to learn from practical experience in composting methods, biodigestion, waste pickers associations and entrepreneurship experiences.

The workshop was held under two CCAC projects. The first, “Develop a methane mitigation strategy for urban and agriculture sectors”, implemented by Instituto Pólis and I 17, seeks to build a comprehensive strategy for methane reduction in urban and rural settings in Brazil. The second, “Establish standardized national guidelines for small-scale composting, harmonizing subnational regulations and promoting best practices in organic waste management”, is implemented by CEPAGRO and supported by CCAC at the request of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil; it provides technical guidance and strengthens municipalities’ capacity to set up small-scale composting facilities.

Participants also made three site visits. At Planta Feliz Adubo, a social enterprise that composts organic waste into organic fertilizers, hosts described the path they took to obtain the necessary licenses and the business model they built, generating revenue from organic waste collection, organic fertilizer sales and ecotourism. At the waste picker cooperative COOPERPAC participants heard how the cooperative had recently begun collecting and composting organic waste, building on a well-established work in recyclables, a solidarity kitchen and environmental education. The third visit was to a mid-size bioenergy and biofertilizer plant at the University of São Paulo, which produces biogas and organic fertilizer from organic waste collected on campus and from partner organizations.

Raphael Esteves, CCAC Programme Manager, brought a global perspective on methane mitigation in the waste sector. “We understand that licensing is one key enabling condition that can unlock the multiple benefits of composting and biodigestion. It can ensure that environmental impacts are adequately managed, while delivering benefits that go well beyond climate and air quality – job creation, social inclusion and stronger food security.”

The discussions surfaced challenges common to all subnational governments alongside specificities of each. Initiatives are unevenly distributed across the country, and states apply somewhat different parameters when assessing licensing requests submitted to the subnational licensing authorities. Vanice Nakano, Specialist in Energy Recovery from Waste and Effluents at I17 stated that "while composting is already well established among environmental agencies, anaerobic digestion remains relatively unfamiliar. The technical meeting and site visits were essential to strengthening discussions on its environmental licensing."

According to Victor H. Argentino, Zero Waste Coordinator at Instituto Pólis: "Composting and biodigestion are solutions that have been growing significantly across Brazil, despite still receiving limited support and investment. Throughout the workshop, participants discussed the main challenges related to the environmental licensing of these technologies and explored the conditions needed to accelerate this strategic agenda for waste management and climate action. Bringing together different stakeholders is one of the most important ways to expand organic waste recycling and reduce methane emissions in Brazil."

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