50 Households Start Turning Food Scraps Into Compost in Orange Walk

Orange Walk Town is rolling out a new approach to one of its most persistent problems, household waste. And this time, the solution starts right in people’s homes.

Fifty households have already signed up under the municipality’s first-ever organic waste management plan, launching a Home Composting Program aimed at turning kitchen scraps into usable compost instead of landfill waste.

The initiative was officially launched over the weekend alongside the handover of a new wood chipper. Participating families are being provided with materials and training to help them compost organic waste at home, reducing the amount of rubbish sent to the dump.

Officials say the move also has an environmental benefit. When organic waste breaks down in landfills, it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas linked to climate change.

Councillor Joesie Cantun and municipal officer Antonio Baeza spent over a year working with the Recycle Organics Program to bring it from planning to reality. Trainer Tara Hoisington also played a key role, delivering hands-on training and helping shape the program alongside residents.

The fifty residents who signed up to take part will be the first to put the program to the test in Orange Walk.