Sheffield Homes Live Project

Monday, 13 October 2008

Go on, Chute!

What would a residential waste/recycle plant look like?

Is 'back to nature' the way forward?

Perhapse we could focus on the recycling tube system for the purposes of this live project
....but there is nothing to stop us drawing up a 'What If' masterplan.

Two ends of the spectrum - Preliminary thoughts

Considering the cheap/economic end of the scale;

Above image shows additional chutes being added, each one disposes of a different recyclable product...

Tenants have expressed their 'fondness' of the chutes, is this the most practical, affordable solution? To what extent do we 'patch and repair' these chutes? If we re-design the current system of waste disposal will that dictate a re-design of the application also? Can the chute technology cope with a more diverse waste system?

To what extent do we take this??

Considering the expensive end of the scale, an ambitious scheme on a Master Plan Scale;

A system from Envac which employs underground chutes which use natural air to suck the deposited waste along the lines at 80kph to a large waste management centre, each recyclable product is separated at the user end and then is systematically sent to the centre.

A 'slightly' more realistic option which shows a communal location storing the waste until a truck can come and 'suck' up the rubbish, the master scheme tries to eliminate road traffic by eliminating the need for these trucks...

Perhaps our solution will be something in between the two extremes that have been highlighted here?

Friday, 10 October 2008

The UK has one of the worst records for recycling within the EU, with rates of just 11% compared with Austria's 64%

Energy Recovery in Hampshire

"In Hampshire, Veolia Environmental Services already operates three modern Energy Recovery Facilities: this video tells the story of how the company has managed Hampshire's waste since 1996 through recycling, composting and energy recovery and shows how its Chineham Energy Recovery Facility was developed."

Check out the informative video below:

Recycling & Energy Recovery - Fun Learning

Getting the message across to school kids about the importance of recycling and energy recovery is a crucial initative. Clicking on the image below takes you to an interactive game designed by Veolia Environmental Services, who were awarded a long term waste management contract by Sheffield City Council.

"Eco-Star.com is an educational resource showing how waste management works, in a way that children enjoy and understand. Based around a virtual community, all the games are backed up with Did You Know? trivia and quizzes, together with teachers' notes and ideas for lesson plans with cross-curricular links."