A Country Needs More Waste
While some cities and entire counties are fighting over what to do with their trash, others need more of it. What do you mean more junk? Yes, exactly what it says. Unlike other countries, Sweden turns trash into power. Oslo is powering most of it's schools and almost the entire city thanks to this process.
And what a unique way to get rid of all your domestic and commercial waste. Thanks to that they don't have huge piles of trash, there is no pollution, thanks to the modern technologies, and they are generating cheap electricity.
It's called incineration. This process is based on combustion of organic particles in waster materials. This is a kind of thermal treatment. The waste materials that are treated are turned in to gases, particles and heat. Those are the products used for creating electricity. But the gases are firstly treated before going to the atmosphere, so it's not toxic.
But there is an issue now. Because there aren't that much people, and the efficiency of the Swedish technologies is so good the waste is running out and they need more. There is a solution to that, too. Sweden has started importing rubbish from other countries. They are importing more than 800 000 tons of waste from all around Europe. Most of the trash is coming from Norway. It's a win-win situation. One country is powering itself on waste materials and it's getting paid, the other country is getting rid of the junk.
And it this deal, Norway has to keep the byproducts - the toxic ones. But it's still a good deal, because Norway saves money from burning waste. Exporting is cheaper.
The good thing is, that many countries are not prepared to deal with all their trash. Most countries from southern Europe, like Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, have trouble with garbage and recycling, so they can easily sell their products to Sweden. The bad side is, that incineration is not a long term solution. Sooner or later other countries will make the same technologies for themselves. The rubbish won't be enough, and then they will have to get trash from other continents. Yet, for shorter periods of time, it is very efficient. And it's a good energy solution, because sooner or later there will be a shortage of natural resources.
And that is why Sweden is one of the most successful countries, when it comes to recycling. Statistically, only four percent of household waste ends up in the landfills. Everything else is recycled. Some magazines and newspapers have claimed that Sweden is the most pro-green country in Europe. And there is not doubt in that. We should all be taking example from their actions.
And what a unique way to get rid of all your domestic and commercial waste. Thanks to that they don't have huge piles of trash, there is no pollution, thanks to the modern technologies, and they are generating cheap electricity.
It's called incineration. This process is based on combustion of organic particles in waster materials. This is a kind of thermal treatment. The waste materials that are treated are turned in to gases, particles and heat. Those are the products used for creating electricity. But the gases are firstly treated before going to the atmosphere, so it's not toxic.
But there is an issue now. Because there aren't that much people, and the efficiency of the Swedish technologies is so good the waste is running out and they need more. There is a solution to that, too. Sweden has started importing rubbish from other countries. They are importing more than 800 000 tons of waste from all around Europe. Most of the trash is coming from Norway. It's a win-win situation. One country is powering itself on waste materials and it's getting paid, the other country is getting rid of the junk.
And it this deal, Norway has to keep the byproducts - the toxic ones. But it's still a good deal, because Norway saves money from burning waste. Exporting is cheaper.
The good thing is, that many countries are not prepared to deal with all their trash. Most countries from southern Europe, like Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, have trouble with garbage and recycling, so they can easily sell their products to Sweden. The bad side is, that incineration is not a long term solution. Sooner or later other countries will make the same technologies for themselves. The rubbish won't be enough, and then they will have to get trash from other continents. Yet, for shorter periods of time, it is very efficient. And it's a good energy solution, because sooner or later there will be a shortage of natural resources.
And that is why Sweden is one of the most successful countries, when it comes to recycling. Statistically, only four percent of household waste ends up in the landfills. Everything else is recycled. Some magazines and newspapers have claimed that Sweden is the most pro-green country in Europe. And there is not doubt in that. We should all be taking example from their actions.