Urban Talks | Green citizens for smart cities: How electronic waste can be reduced through education

Andreea Idriceanu Calev, RoRec Communication Manager, spoke at Urban Talks at Cluj Innovation Days about the insane amount of electronic waste suffocating the Earth and how we can reduce the level through education and perseverance.   As we grow more and more dependent to our gadgets and various household appliances, we fail to realize that we …

Sustainable cities: the challenge of pollution

In developed countries, after decades of high-pollution landfill practices, waste collection and waste treatment systems have moved toward the recovery of materials (recycling and re-use) and of energy (incineration). These less polluting activities have made our trash a profitable industry with excellent market expectations, consequently attracting energy multinationals and recycling companies, as well as mafia groups. …

Sydney’s urban renewal project – Barangaroo

With a drop in average annual rainfall in recent years, the Australian government has released billions of dollars in funding to develop the water infrastructure needed to optimise and conserve water use and make cities more resilient. The commercial sector has also been addressing water efficiency with various approaches, one example being Barangaroo, one of Sydney’s suburban districts. …

Bringing tech & innovation into waste management

Waste management is becoming a global issue, with major urban metropolises requiring more effective waste collection and processing services. In the United States alone, 230 million tons of garbage are produced annually, equaling 4.6 pounds of waste per person daily. Managing municipal solid waste (MSW) efficiently and adequately is essential for any community, and it …

Changing attitudes towards waste

Whether the goal is to increase recycling or to reduce littering, authorities will never achieve truly clean cities without a fundamental shift in public mindsets and behaviours, according to waste management experts gathered at the CleanEnviro Summit in Singapore. They highlight three ways in which cities can increase public participation in waste management. Financial incentives …