The biodigester will be integrated into the university’s research, curriculum and classes to enhance academic programs with practical applications
WASHINGTON, DC – The Recycle Organics Program will be providing a small-scale biodigester to the University of Guyana. This joint initiative will support the university in incorporating a pragmatic approach to enhance its academic programs by bringing the biodigester to campus and integrating it into the school’s research, curriculum and classes.
Recycle Organics Program Coordinator Brooks Shaffer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Paloma Mohamed-Martin on July 11 during a recent trip to the country as part of the Program’s efforts in helping Guyana reduce methane emissions from its waste sector.
“It’s a quick win for the Program and for the university,” said Shaffer. “The biodigester provides a key practical application and resource for students, staff and faculty on campus to learn from, while giving the Recycle Organics team a sustained opportunity to raise awareness about the different and innovative treatment technologies used for managing the organic fraction of waste and their role in reducing methane emissions. Graduates who become future leaders in climate action and policy within the country can carry this experience with them and think through how projects like this can be replicated, scaled and accelerated at different levels.”
The biodigester will provide experiential learning opportunities for students with hands-on experiences to complement theoretical knowledge with practical skills in organic waste management and methane mitigation. Additionally, it will boost educational outcomes by fostering a deeper understanding of environmental issues and equip students with valuable skills and knowledge for future careers.
The biodigester is projected to arrive on campus by the end of 2024. The Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences will lead other departments in working with the biodigester. Other participating faculties, colleges and institutes on campus include the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, the College of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST).
The initiative is an ongoing collaboration between Recycle Organics and the University of Guyana that will include forthcoming training opportunities for students and faculty and could also feature future activities supported by the Program, such as workshops, webinars and other events related to organic waste management and methane mitigation.
“Introducing an anaerobic digester at the university will not only help demonstrate the remarkable process of turning organic waste into valuable fertilizer and biogas, but it will also inspire Guyanese students to explore the potential of organic waste valorization and promote environmental stewardship across communities in Guyana,” said Recycle Organics Program Coordinator and Technical Consultant Beltrán Duhart.
Guyana is one of six Small Island Developing States (SIDS) currently supported by the Recycle Organics Program with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Throughout the summer and fall, the team will continue to visit the other supported SIDS (Belize, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Fiji and Samoa) to advance country-specific waste sector policies and projects and create enabling conditions for a sustainable expansion of organic waste treatment technologies.
The Program has a particular focus on working with SIDS which have historically contributed the least to climate change but are typically hit the hardest by its cascading effects. Many of these countries are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, intensified storms and flooding because of the warming planet, making the goals of the Paris Agreement to keep warming below 1.5 °C evermore critical.
The Recycle Organics team recently reviewed Guyana’s draft Solid Waste Management Bill that has been at a standstill since 2014. The team is working to incorporate provisions specifically addressing the organic waste fraction, which represents more than 50% of the country's waste stream. This fraction could be composted or otherwise diverted from land disposal and transformed into beneficial uses for local communities.
The team's recommendations to the draft bill also focus on explicitly mentioning and promoting the separation of organic waste at the source and incentivizing subsequent organic waste management treatment alternatives. The comments and recommendations were shared this past January, and the current administration has prioritized revisiting the bill. They have already undertaken stakeholders’ consultations, which will be sent for approval and eventually enacted by Parliament.
All the while, the Recycle Organics pilot home composting program in Guyana will support local communities across the country, creating significant co-benefits. The team will be providing 200 composting bins and equipment to communities to take home as part of the program’s launch, which will happen in the coming months.
Implemented by CCAP and ImplementaSur, the underlying goal of the Recycle Organics program is to help the countries it supports achieve the Global Methane Pledge of reducing their methane emissions by 30% by 2030, while bringing significant environmental, economic and social benefits to local communities. Through accelerating replicable policies and projects, the Program aims to develop a community of practice within the regions it supports.
In total, the Recycle Organics Program supports 20+ countries and is funded by ECCC, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the Global Methane Hub through different initiatives and projects. ECCC is currently supporting four Caribbean and two Pacific Island countries via the Recycle Organics program.
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