Don’t waste it!
Discussions about a right worldwide waste system are ongoing. The issue is the differentiation of recycling: each country has a different – or not even elaborated – system.
In some countries the waste production is too high, in others waste has to be imported because recycling plants are too big. This is a huge logistic effort. While in some place in the world it is a usual standard to separate plastic garbage from organic waste, this system is unknown in other places or not possible to establish it. So which concept is sustainable?
Residual waste goes into green bins, plastic waste into yellow ones, used glass and scrap paper into corresponding containers – this is daily routine in many countries, but in some it is new land. Waste separation is handled everywhere differently. In some countries they still don’t recycle at all, although we produce annually more than 1,7 billion tons of waste, that is per European person 520 kg – in the USA a person produces even 730 kg of waste. Recycling is imporant for our future life – even in places like Nigeria people are aware of the importance. Private helpers collect plastic and aluminium waste and get a remuneration for it.
In San Francisco people are used to recycle 80% of their totals waste. In Houston only 14% of the inhabitants seperate their garbage. Reasons for this different behaviour is that people in Texas do not pay bin taxes – their are sufficient garbage cans placed for everybody. Missing education and regulations are leading to throwing all garbage together without thinking of future problems. The government is not implementing a better knowledge to remedy the shortcomings.
Recycling on a new level: Robots
An intelligent solution was found in Helsinki: The Finish capital has no garbage cans, but a system of colored containers and tubes that directly suck the garbage in the right bigger container. It’s a small robot that does not block the narrow lanes anymore. Inhabitants don’t have to change their behaviour, they only have to put the garbage into smaller plastic bags, because “Rööri” can only soak in handy bags.
Italy has too much waste. For decades, the Mafia has been dumping toxic waste illegally in the region north of Naples and from there to Germany and the Netherlands to save them from a crisis. Because northern Italy refuses to account for its garbage via dumpings and incinerators. There are scandals known where more than 68.000 tons of toxic waste were mixed to normal waste and spread on Italian fields. On those fields are vegetables grown, exported and eaten worldwide.
Waste is not to waste…
Oslo has the opposite problem: There is not enough waste. Norway’s capital has built huge incinerators that have to work all the time – a stopping would be unprofitable. So the waste is coming from England, Ireland and Sweden to get burned in Norway. 1,4 Million inhabitants produce too less waste. Isn’t is bizarre if you think of the overall aim to produce as less waste as you can? So do the profiteering really make sense?
The solution is separation
The combination and optimation of different technologies could be the solution for a recycling system that works globally because recycling is necessary, smart and sustainable. Maybe you as an enterprise have the idea, but need help for a concrete implementation? If you wish to cope with the changing times – do not hesitate to contact us, we can connect you worldwide.
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