Material Flows and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Potential of Decentralized Composting in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study in Tiassalé, Côte d'Ivoire

Urban Farm DB summary

A 2020 assessment of material flows and greenhouse-gas mitigation from decentralized composting, based on primary data from a pilot composting facility in the municipality of Tiassalé, Côte d'Ivoire. Flows were visualised with STAN version 2.6 (Vienna University of Technology) and carbon emission reductions estimated with UNFCCC methods. In 2017 the station processed 59.4 metric tons of organic waste and produced 14.2 metric tons of mature compost — 24% of input mass on a wet-weight basis and 36% on a dry-weight basis. The compost's nutrient content matched published values for sub-Saharan African compost, and heavy metal contamination met both French and German compost standards. Under this composting scenario, 87% of the baseline emissions that would occur under open dumping could be avoided. The study was motivated by the fact that, despite many composting initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa, data on material flows and mitigation contribution were lacking. It rests on one facility and one year of data and does not address long-term operational continuity or markets for the compost produced.