Home Posts Tagged "recycling"

recycling

Opinion

,
834 0

In some way or another, Africa and plastic formed a close relationship a long time ago. At the checkout, all your groceries are packed in small plastic carrier bags – you don’t get big shoppers here. But the problem is that most of these bags don’t end up in the rubbish bin but land up somewhere in the environment after only being used once. And most plastic bottles end up on the streets – the deposit system is very European.

Also very European is the idea that the entire system of separate waste processing and recycling should be organised by the government. No, in Africa it’s left to private initiatives to set up these systems. And it’s surprising to see how quickly that can happen. There are already large numbers of small plastic recycling companies making things like garden furniture and rubbish bins out of recycled plastic. But many people still don’t bother to recycle, so substantial volumes of glass, plastic, paper and metal are still ending up in landfill sites. How long do you want to go on filling up your country with your own rubbish? Never mind the fact that less energy is needed to produce things with recycled materials than with new materials. And as a continent, we already have enough trouble providing an adequate and stable electricity supply.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. There has been a Recycling Day in South Africa for several years now, and International Coastal Clean-up Day took place on 16 September. All the plastic waste that blows out to sea has a significant impact on the ecosystem and on life in our oceans. I am actually writing this column in the week in which the Kenyan government announced that anyone stopped on the street with a plastic bag in hand can expect an exorbitant fine of thousands of dollars. I happened to be in Kenya this week and it was amazing to see everyone walking around holding their shopping in their hands or carrying it in big packages. Not a single plastic bag in sight. Well – at least they can no longer blow out to sea.

Whether that’s really the way to do it, I’m not sure, but it certainly works. A great lesson on how to put environmental awareness on the daily agenda of your entire population in one fell swoop.

Herbert Stolker
Senior Consultant Africa

Related

I’ve seen the sun rise over Africa

Search for key to soil resilience is logical

Making headway in East Africa

Business in Trumpland

Advance of LEDs seems unstoppable despite critical noises

Medicines

Energy & CO2News

,
1.03K 0

The bi-annual AgroEnergy symposium was held at the Rotterdam STC Building’s Lloyd Hall on 21 January 2016. The key topic of the symposium was: ‘How can tomorrow’s energy be applied to today’s greenhouse?’ Led by Frits Wester, seven speakers from the energy industry presented their vision on this topic. This article will feature the highlights of trendwatcher Adjiedj Bakas’ presentation.

Adjiedj Bakas, the Netherlands’ most prominent trendwatcher, kicked off the symposium with a sharp analysis of what the world will look like in 2025. He predicts two major shifts, which he describes as ‘climate sobriety’ and ‘new aesthetics’. He called 2015 a year of great inventions and predicts rapid changes, in which he addressed the symposium’s topic of how the energy we and the greenhouse horticulture industry will be using in the future will be generated: at the bottom of the sea, among other alternatives. Tidal energy is a promising source of energy, as are small windmills without blades. ‘Energy will be available practically for free in 20 or 30 years.’

Energy from seaweed

According to an idea that dates back to 1920, we are technically able to combat climate change by creating clouds from seawater with specially designed small boats. Japan will be experimenting with a solar energy plant in outer space. We will also be growing seaweed in floating greenhouses that can be moved about as we like. Seaweed could very well become the energy source of the future. ‘What we need most are radical, new ideas,’ he advocated. Co-creation and co-makership are also rapidly emerging trends.

Energy from nuclear waste

However, these aren’t the only interesting innovations today. The first medicines produced from flowers are already available. Coffins are being made from potato peelings, on which a tree can grow beautifully. A more beautiful and sustainable memorial is hardly imaginable. Bioplastics are made from plants, which offers new possibilities for the horticulture industry. We will be generating energy on the façades of buildings. And nuclear energy will experience a comeback, but in an entirely new way. New nuclear power plants will be running on nuclear waste, or thorium. ‘The oil era won’t come to an end due to a lack of oil, but because people will be choosing alternative energy sources.’ Waste will no longer exist; everything will become a resource. Water is already being recycled in the horticulture industry.

Creative energy

‘A lot of money is being put into innovation these days. Bank interest is reaching the zero point. Venture Capital is available everywhere; funding has never been so easy to arrange!’ Opportunities abound for the horticulture industry, according to Bakas, but this will ‘demand a certain spirit’. His advice to horticulturists: ‘Experiment, get off the beaten track. Make your own path! Speak to people outside of your own sector,’ he advised the audience. ‘See what other industries are doing and focus on creative solutions rather than efficiency.’

Text: Mario Bentvelsen. Photo: AgroEnergy.