European cities innovate waste management systems!

Are we still managing waste the same way it was done a hundred years ago?

In most of cases,yes... But some cities have discovered a more practical, cleaner and less polluting way of managing waste.

It started first in Sweden and rapidly it was spread over European cities. The "Automated Vacuum Collection" transports waste through underground pipes to a collection station where is is compacted and send to its final destination; recycling, composting or even power generation.

Living in Stockholm and in Barcelona I have experienced this technology with my own eyes and hands. The advantages? It doesn't generate foul smells, it improves visual impact,  the waste can be thrown out any time of the day, it is efficient and most of all, it reduces the number of trucks in the city, which means: less pollution and less CO2 to the atmosphere.

In Barcelona, the system was first constructed for the Olympic games in 1992 inside the Olympic village. It worked so well that it became an example to the whole city. Nowadays, it is estimated that around 70% of the solid waste is already collected by this method and it took away from the streets daily, almost 200 trucks. 

The other 30% of waste that is still removed by trucks uses a system of containers that aims to optimize the segregation and thus, favoring recycling. The waste containers are placed around the city in a way that all residents have them within 100 meters from their homes, they are user friendly and accessible to all, with ergonomic design and containing even tactile symbols indicating the container's waste type for the blind.

In addition to all that, there are also the "Punts Verds" ("Green Spots")where people can dispose their electronic and other household wastes.

I personally believe this example is a real positive and innovative solution, not only because a proper waste in collection in a city can certainly interfere in the whole city sanitation system, but also it can contribute to the well-being, comfort and general prosperity of its population.

As I mentioned, it started in Barcelona for the Olympic games... I hope, my home country, Brazil, can also take advantage of the forthcoming events as the World Cup (2014) and the Olympic games in Rio (2016) to implement smart systems like this to its population.

Here you find a video explaining more about the system. Enjoy!

And this video in Portuguese! From "Jornal Nacional", the most popular news in Brazil:

Danish island is carbon free!

Havvindmøller ved Samsø. Foto venligst udlånt af Samsø EnergiAkademi

Samso (Samsø), in Denmark, became self-sufficient in electricity production using only renewable sources. Not only energy issues were solved but it also became income for many families!

Wind turbines supply the energy needed by farms. The surplus energy is sold and it generates an income usually 3 times more than what is made by the farm itself. "I sell more electricity than milk" says a farmer. People that can't have the turbines in their backyard are shareholders of offshore wind farms. 

The surplus energy is sent to the public system and a credits system is in place so that the proprietors of solar panels can spend their credit during the winter. The houses are heated by a central system that uses locally burned straw to produce the energy and cars are now either electric or powered on biofuels.

It started in 1997, when Samso won a government competition to become a model renewable energy community. The island was dependent on oil and coal coming from the mainland. Today, Samso exports energy, what brings income to the island that can be re-invested in benefits for the community. As a result, Samso has nowadays one of the highest quality of life indexes of the world!

If you want to know more about Samso and its renewable model, click here  for a full article published by Scientific America or see this video done by CBS News.

Follow the Frog - Ads worth spreading

I would like to start this blog in a funny way, so I decided to post this very creative, smart and thoughtful advertisement.

Recently, TED (Ideas Worth Spreading) selected the 10 winners of their third "Ads Worth Spreading" challenge. I would like to share my favorite one with you.

Contributing to a more sustainable world is actually much easier than you thought!! Just Follow the Frog...