Regional waste valorization projects focus on biogas and organic fertilizer

Researchers at the Universidad Nacional del Comahue (UNCo) in Argentina are investigating methods to convert sewage sludge from the San Martín de los Andes treatment plant into biogas and organic fertilizer. Led by Dr. Marcela Noemí Gatti, the project aims to apply circular economy principles by using anaerobic digestion and floating macrophytes to determine if the resulting digestate can serve as a soil amendment.

In Chile, students at the Liceo Alcalde Sergio González Gutiérrez in Pozo Almonte have constructed a school vermicomposting system. Funded by the Ministry of the Environment's Environmental Protection Fund, the project uses organic waste to produce worm humus and liquid fertilizer. The initiative serves as a practical learning tool for approximately 1,000 students and 120 staff members, integrating biology and chemistry studies through waste recycling.