A Great Initiative: Composting of local food waste

The commune of Bardonnex, in the canton of Geneva, has taken the initiative to locally recycle organic waste by composting it with HOTBIN. This innovative project will improve the recycling rate to meet the cantonal targets.  Composting ensures local processing and a reduction of more than 80% in volume and weight of organic waste (composed of 60-80% water), thus helping reduce waste collection and processing costs.   

This project (developed in partnership with Co-objectifs21) improves recycling whilst creating a value-added product: compost. This compost will be used locally for cultivation of fruits, vegetables and herbs.  The project will optimise the waste management cycle and drive a number of educational initiatives.

The HOTBIN project

On Friday 11 September, the inhabitants of Bardonnex were able to watch “Freestyle” (a Comtois stallion from Attelages du Léman) deliver (by carriage) 6 HOTBINs to 4 communal inns. 

HOTBIN is an aerobic composter which achieves hot composting temperatures of 40-60°c by maximising what nature does naturally; keeping bacteria happy with sufficient water, oxygen and organic waste. HOTBIN recycles organic waste to compost in just 90 days.

The goal of the project is to process local organic matter with minimum fossil fuel resources. The compost will be collected every 3 months in a horse-drawn carriage and the compost produced will be used to fertilise communal orchards and an educational garden.  

The use of a HOTBIN in an elementary school will enable children to learn about the entire recycling process and will drive zero-waste within families.

This is an exciting project for Bardonnex, creating a complete cycle from the food waste to the fertilisation of the gardens/orchards within the commune.  We hope this becomes the first of many exemplary projects with significant economic and ecological benefits within Switzerland.