By Rodrigo Díaz Guerrero
It is common knowledge that society is going through an unprecedented ecological crisis, and that if we do not change our consumption habits there will be no turning back. Much is said, little is done. Those who progress from talking to acting stand out for their consistent determination. This is the case of Daniela Del Villar, who for a year and a half has focused her energy on the Composta SMA project, which already has 250 subscribers. It is an alternative for those who do not know how to take ecological action.
RDG: Could you tell us about the Composta SMA project?
DDV: Composta SMA is an organic waste collection service at home, open to the public in San Miguel de Allende. Anyone can participate. Every week we collect household waste and compost it in our recycling plant. We treat it and turn it into fertile soil that we return to subscribers.
RDG: When and how did Composta SMA start?
DDV: In 2017 I founded a community house in the Guadalupe neighborhood to lodge artists and scientists who volunteered with various organizations. Naturally, we had a composting system. It caught the attention of several neighbors, and they brought us their waste. Composta SMA started out with 15 concerned citizens. From there came years of researching and understanding the waste crisis here and worldwide. Knowing the statistics and the realities, we realized that we are submerged in an ecological crisis. We wanted to have a significant impact, and formally opened the SMA Compost service to the public in 2021. Since then we have received tremendous support from the community in the form of cheerleading and volunteers.
RDG: Who is in charge of the project?
DDV: Although the idea of the collection service is mine and I am the one who supports it, I have a wonderful team of friends/advisors with decades of experience in composting and ecology issues. We have learned a lot. [For me] the best part is being able to work with people who are so aware that they are willing to do the work to make a healthy future, not out of good wishes, but with concrete and tangible actions to take responsibility for the impact of their waste. Keep in mind that landfills are the second-largest generator of methane gas in the world and the leading cause of air, water, and soil pollution in many communities.
RDG: How do you see the composting culture in SMA and in Mexico in general terms?
DDV: The public knows what we have to do. We know that garbage is not thrown out on the street, we know that disposables are garbage before we buy them, we know that plastic pollutes a lot, we know that we have to separate garbage. Our problem is that we act like children, thinking that someone else has to solve the problem, that someone is going to come to save us, be it the government, a company, experts, or neighbors. What we lack as a community is understanding that we have power, that each action is a vote, that each peso we spend is a vote, and we are voting for the future. We can vote for the future we want and not let our actions let us down.
Of all the garbage that is produced, 50% is organic waste that can be composted. Giving our organics the right treatment solves more than half of the equation. For those who feel the call of composting and want to start, we are available to help. We can advise how to do it at home or in the community, and for those who do not have the space or time, we have a weekly collection service that delivers your finished compost every month. Join this great project at www.compostasma.com
