Waste 2 Energy: Generating bioenergy and carbon credits from acai waste

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The project concerns the generation of carbon credits by low income people through the collection and processing of açai waste into an exportable biomass in Belém, State of Para. By organizing the collection mainly through catadores (waste collectors), new income earning opportunities are created for a substantial number of disadvantaged people. After being processed in food, the açai pits are normally being dumped illegally or at a local landfill. By processing açai residues into biomass for energy generation in Europe, organic waste methanisation is avoided. In this way, the beneficiaries will earn additional income from carbon credit sales under the Clean Development Mechanism. The private sector is involved in this initiative through the participation of the company VAR do Brazil. The company plans to arrange 80% of its açai residue requirement through catadores who will be organized through a cooperative.