Green Mama Compost Reimagines Waste as a Resource in Guatemala

Earth Rising is proud to support the important work of Green Mama Compost, a community-centered initiative in Antigua, Guatemala focused on urban composting, waste reduction, and environmental education. With the local municipal landfill, El Choconal, scheduled to close in August 2025, the work of Green Mama Compost is more important than ever. They address critical challenges related to contamination, soil degradation, and inadequate waste management systems, offering practical and sustainable solutions. 

By collecting food scraps from homes, restaurants, and schools, the team diverts organic matter away from dumps and transforms it into nutrient-rich compost. In just two years, they’ve kept 262 tons of food waste out of landfills, produced 36 tons of compost, and created five stable jobs in the community. By reintegrating organic matter into the land, Green Mama Compost fosters a circular economy that benefits both people and the planet. 

The work of Green Mama Compost goes far beyond their composting services. Over the past two years, the team has hosted 50 hands-on workshops in schools and community spaces, engaging more than 800 participants of all ages. Through these sessions they are shifting the way communities think about waste itself and together envisioning what a better future might look like. In addition to these workshops, Green Mama Compost has started a butterfly greenhouse and garden at their site and is fundraising for other pollinator projects and a new community garden in the middle of town. 

The impact of Green Mama’s compost multipronged approach is clear. With 116 households, 32 restaurants, and one commercial center now participating in the program, waste reduction is becoming a shared community effort. And the product of this work, high quality compost, can be used in local gardens and farms, returning the benefits back to the community in the food they eat. 

The demand for alternative waste management is growing rapidly in Antigua. Just last week the Constitutional Court of Guatemala knocked down the 164-2021 law stating municipalities have to separate their waste. This is a huge blow to projects like Green Mama Compost, environmentalists, and the planet. This makes the work of Green Mama compost all the more crucial. 

Green Mama Compost is leading this transition on the ground through their outreach and services. Most importantly they are building a community led vision of what a more sustainable system could look like in Guatemala. To learn more about Green Mama Compost and to support their work visit their website here.