EKOVORE / Urban collective composter

Basic information

Project Title

Full project title

Urban collective composter

Project Description

The Ekovore collective composter is designed as street furniture. It recycles bio-waste at the foot of the building.

It offers new features in terms of urban integration and comfort of composting.

Project Region

Nantes, France

EU Programme or fund

Description of the project

Summary

The project aims to generalize the sorting at source of bio-waste by creating a composting process accessible to all in the street, on artificial soil, in areas without private gardens, where collective housing dominates.

We have observed that currently, shared composting does not reach all people but only the "eco-convinced". We have listed the "brakes" to composting and proposed a solution for everyone, comfortable, mature and sustainable.

The Ekovore composter is:

- A galvanized steel kiosk, locked to guarantee quality compost

- A device to aid the turning of the compost using a manually operated elevator

- Urban furniture incorporating essentials for a long-term practice: storage of tools and organic waste bins, rainwater tank for washing organic waste bins, bench-stock of brown material.

- A kiosk with tailgate doors all around to access all functions and protect from the rain

Key objectives for sustainability

The challenge is to reduce organic waste at the source. The autonomous treatment, in the street, of bio-waste is an important lever for reducing the environmental footprint of the current collection and incineration system.

The planned shared composting system is therefore urgent and important as it ultimately allows costs to be eliminated, the reduction of emissions of fossil origin and a virtuous circular economy between the city and the food belt.

Beyond the relevant management of bio-waste permitted by the composter, the equipment is designed in galvanized steel for a minimum period of 30 years.

It is a low-tech composter. Its characteristic compost elevators are operated manually using a winch. It has a water tank that collects rainwater. It therefore does not require any connection to the electricity network or to the drinking water network.

Key objectives for aesthetics and quality

Acceptance of such a device in the city center must answer integration requirements. We made sure to create a customizable aesthetic in the colors of the street furniture defined by each city.

The aesthetic and qualitative objective was achieved by offering a second skin in powder-coated steel, robust and elegant and a magnificent vegetal roof.

Key objectives for inclusion

Composting is organized in groups on specific and regular time slots (1 hour per week) under the responsibility of a compost referent. This organization synchronizes the inhabitants and promotes meetings between neighbors.

A brown material storage bench is associated with the composter so that this place promotes meetings. Thermos of tea and coffee are deployed on the bench so that this ecological action is as convivial as possible.

Results in relation to category

The composter absorbs 5 tonnes of waste supplied by 50 households per year and transforms this bio-waste into 1.5 tonnes of compost. Due to the high cost of door-to-door collection of bio-waste (€ 710 / tonne - Modecom study - ADEME). This device is amortized at the rate of € 3,500 / year.

How Citizens benefit

In Nantes, the first Ekovore composter was supported by an association of women from the Malakoff district, Les Idéelles.

Installed for 8 years, the device keeps its promises and the inhabitants plebiscite it.

Four Ekovore collective composters are also installed in ANGERS following a participatory budget initiated by the inhabitants. So many residents wanted to use it that a waiting list had to be created.

The need for comfortable composting is therefore real and supports elected officials in the extension of this policy.