We started our day quite early, meeting Violeta in the morning and joining a group of primary school children who were going on a field trip to a waste collection center. On the way, we had the opportunity to interact with both the teachers and the children, and we found out just how many trips of this kind they conduct, as it is one of their preferred learning methods.
Arriving at the destination, we were happy to see the openness of the employees there to give us a tour of the space, where we could observe over twenty individual categories for waste sorting, from different types of wood and paper to household appliances, batteries, metals, and plastic. The entire center was set up in such a way that the process of coming and throwing away your waste in the right place was very easy to follow: tall poles with the name of the sorting category were posted next to each container, and at their base, there was also a more detailed list of what could be collected there. Being a place that operates on the principle that residents are the ones who bring their waste there, and dedicated especially to large companies, but also to those carrying out renovations or other similar activities, the entry of cars there was done with ease, and just a few minutes after the center opened, the yard was full of people who had come and parked right next to the containers where they knew they had to throw what they had brought with them. This shows how natural and rooted in the routine of Swedes this separate collection process is, as well as how simple and organized everything is.
During the tour, we learned that this waste collection is not done just based on the materials themselves, but that the purpose of this center is also to determine what will happen next to these remnants. We learned that their future can easily be divided into three categories: recycling, reuse, or conversion into energy. Depending also on this, each type of material is then bought by a certain company that will facilitate these processes. For example, in the case of textiles or household appliances that can be easily repaired, they will be sold or donated to organizations that then redirect them to people in a more precarious financial situation. In the case of materials that can no longer be reused or recycled, they will end up being transformed into energy, usually through combustion, but we learned that the city of Stockholm is largely powered by energy coming from such sources.
At the end, we filmed several materials for our documentary, because we remained extremely impressed by what we saw at this correct waste sorting center.
The next stop of today was Stockholm University, where we had the pleasure of having lunch together at a restaurant within the campus where students were responsible for growing many of the products used in the kitchen. We were also able to explore their campus and do a series of interviews with the students there, as well as visit the Pedagogical Institute. Both proved to be extremely valuable experiences loaded with inspiration, as we discovered the Swedes’ vision of what education means and how valuable the skills to be able to teach someone else what you know are, as well as their vision of the lifestyle as a student in Stockholm.
The last stop of our third day in Sweden was the ArkDes Museum, an architecture museum where we had the opportunity to explore examples of concrete reconstruction and rethinking of this country’s infrastructure throughout its history, but also to come into contact with more artistic pieces that explored various themes, from sustainability to femininity or different ethical issues.
We ended the day with a reflection during which we had to associate this day with a color and say one thing learned today that brought us a sense of optimism. It was a beautiful exercise that made us all the more aware of the privilege of studying these things and coming into contact with a culture so different from ours.