{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:44:26Z","timestamp":1760060666454,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,20]],"date-time":"2025-09-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758326400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Polytechnic University of Lisbon under the \u201cProjeto IPL\/2022\/BioCompost_ISEL\u201d"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sustainability"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sustainable waste management is essential for environmental protection and climate change mitigation. In mainland Portugal, 59% of municipal waste was sent to landfills in 2023, while only 8% underwent organic valorization. Domestic composting offers low-cost, local solutions to reduce landfill dependency and promote a circular economy. When produced with quality, compost can be used in parks and gardens, improving soil structure, supplying nutrients for plants, and promoting water retention. This study describes the implementation of a composting program at a Higher Education Institution in Lisbon, focusing on community engagement, awareness-raising actions, process monitoring, and challenges faced. The training sessions increased the participants\u2019 knowledge, who reported personal constraints in urban areas, such as limited space and slow composting rates. The results from the composting assays showed that the temperature and the pH followed the expected patterns, with the pH ranging from 4 to 9. Although the composting process progressed satisfactorily, the maximum temperature reached was approximately 45 \u00b0C, a value that can occur in home composting systems. The compost analysis showed a mature compost with pH values around 8, a dark color, and an earthy smell, proper for use. Nonetheless, challenges remain, including contaminants found in some composters and the need for increased community participation and awareness to fully engage all stakeholders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/su17188446","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,22]],"date-time":"2025-09-22T12:08:03Z","timestamp":1758542883000},"page":"8446","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Implementing Composting and Awareness Campaigns in a Higher Education Institution to Promote Circularity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-8391-7400","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana L\u00facia","family":"Craveiro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa\u2014ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8976-6691","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Teresa","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa\u2014ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS\u2014Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9446-9384","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandra","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UniRE\u2014Unit for Innovation and Research in Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa\u2014ISEL, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, Rua Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Eurostat (2025, June 27). 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