Earth5R

ESG & CSR For Food, Restaurant & Hotel Industry

Case Study: Coastal Composting Awareness Program by Earth5R

INTRODUCTION

Coastal areas are hotspots for tourism, and with it comes a significant amount of organic waste from restaurants, shacks, and beachside pubs. Many of these establishments, especially in regions like Ibiza Island, Malta Island, Goa, Ratnagiri, and Chennai, lacked knowledge and facilities for composting, resulting in large amounts of organic waste being sent to landfills. To address this, Earth5R conducted a large-scale training program to raise awareness among shop and restaurant owners on how to efficiently compost food waste at their own locations, turning a potential problem into a sustainable solution.

THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

Shack and restaurant owners in beach towns generate a considerable amount of food waste but often lack the knowledge or tools to compost it. Many believe composting can lead to bad odors or may degrade improperly. As a result, organic waste is often mixed with other waste streams, making it harder to recycle or compost later, and most of it ends up in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This program was designed to change that mindset and provide practical training on sustainable composting practices.

EARTH5R’S INTERVENTION & SOLUTION

Earth5R developed a comprehensive program to train coastal businesses on efficient composting techniques:

  1. Awareness and Training Workshops: Earth5R volunteers, using the Earth5R app, conducted live demonstrations at the restaurants, shacks, and pubs. They explained the importance of waste segregation and how to efficiently compost organic waste using simple tools like soil, compost starters, and microbes.
  2. Live Demonstrations: The Earth5R team provided hands-on training, showing restaurant owners how to compost organic waste on-site. They demonstrated the process of separating waste and creating compost, ensuring that it is properly managed without odors or degradation.
  3. Toolkit for Composting: Earth5R provided a composting toolkit to each business, which included materials and instructions to begin composting immediately. This made it easy for them to continue the practice independently.
  4. Sustainability Impact: The program also encouraged participants to use the compost for growing plants or herbs, adding value to their businesses by promoting sustainability and offering fresh, locally grown food to customers.

OUTCOMES

  1. Training Reach:
    • Earth5R trained 250 shops and restaurants on Ibiza Island, 115 shops on Malta Island, 75 shops on Goa beaches, 23 stores and restaurants in Chennai, and 43 shops in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra.
  2. Organic Waste Processed:
    • Each of these establishments generates around 10 kilograms of organic waste daily. Across all the trained locations, this adds up to approximately 5,160 kilograms (5.16 tons) of organic waste processed daily.
  3. Carbon Offset:
    • By composting organic waste instead of sending it to landfills, the program reduces methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Each ton of food waste diverted from landfills can prevent the release of around 2.5 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Therefore, by composting 5.16 tons of organic waste daily, the program offsets around 12.9 metric tons of CO2 emissions per day.
  4. Behavioral Change and Community Engagement:
    • The program led to a significant behavioral shift among coastal business owners. They became more aware of sustainable waste management practices and committed to ongoing composting efforts, thereby contributing to a reduction in landfill waste and improved environmental outcomes in these tourist-heavy areas.

THE ROAD AHEAD

With the success of the program in coastal regions, Earth5R aims to scale the composting initiative to other beach towns and coastal areas globally. By continuing to promote waste segregation and composting, Earth5R is contributing to reducing the environmental impact of tourism while empowering businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

About Earth5R

Earth5R is an ESG and CSR “Action” platform that empowers communities and businesses to take real-world climate action. Through its innovative programs, Earth5R promotes sustainability and circular economy practices, driving environmental and social impact globally.