Argentina – Developing organic waste recovery policies to reduce methane and CO2 emissions

Rationale

In recent years, improved technology for monitoring methane emissions has highlighted the scale of the SLCP mitigation challenge in the waste sector. In some major cities such as Buenos Aires, Argentina it is estimated that up to 50% of methane emissions derive from organic waste decomposing in landfill. Globally organic waste comprises nearly 20% of human-derived methane emissions.

The Government of Argentina is seeking to develop an enabling framework for the byproducts of organic waste treatment. 

The project will develop a mechanism for the implementation of policies to reduce waste generation and enhance separation and treatment of organic waste, focusing on large organic generators, including those from the agricultural sector and food production and commerce at the municipal level.

Objectives

• Increase the capacity of the Government of Argentina to monitor and assess greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste generation in the country.
• Support the Government of Argentina to endorse a policy to enable the use of by-products from organic waste valorisation.

• Increase the capacity of relevant municipal, provincial, and private stakeholders have increased capacity to valorise organic waste by the end of the project.

  Activities

  To achieve these objectives the project will:

• Develop and implement training tools for municipal, provincial and private stakeholders in formal professional programs that include the organic treatment approach to mitigate CH4 and CO2 emissions.
• Assess different types of organic waste and its potential use as value-added products after treatment.
• Develop of a policy that supports enabling frameworks for the recovery and utilisation of the by-products (compost, compost tea, biofertilisers) of organic waste valorisation. 
• Quantify the amount of organic waste treated per unit of production.
• Develop an emissions inventory of organic waste plants installed in operation to produce compost or digestate in the country.
• Develop updated inventories of CH4 and CO2 waste emissions based on new data collected.

Project Reference: [AR-23-003] Argentina – Developing organic waste recovery policies to reduce methane and CO2 emissions