Thursday, August 19, 2010

Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR)







Everything about Berliner Statreinigungsbetriebe (BSR) is stellar! My objective was to meet with BSR and gain knowledge about how Berlin's recycling department turns the city's kitchen waste into compost. (Photo) Dr. Thomas Klockner, Director of Communications, and Wilhelm Winkelmann, Fermentation Plant Manager, not only provided me information about their biowaste recycling program, but information how progressive and innovate Berlin is when it comes to recycling waste into energy. For example, their various waste treatment plants convert waste into enough energy to supply approximately 100,00 households, equating to over 1000 gigawatts hours of power.
BSR is continuously taking measures to be more energy efficient with their waste management practices, since by law not waste can be deposited into their three, now closed, landfills. Mr. Winkelmann is managing the up-coming fermentation plant which is targeted to convert organic waste to CNG. This biowaste will power 130 waste collection trucks. Also, this fermentation plant will reduce their recycling costs, from 80 euro/ton to 40 euro/ton.
Dr. Klockner provided me with ideas in developing a pilot test for composting kitchen biowaste. He recommended developing an effective campaign encouraging residence participation, to have high transparency and good communication with city residences, and to have a cost effective recycling plan.
BSR collects 60,000 metric tons of kitchen biowaste each year, but there are problems. City residence complain of odor, fruit flies, and messiness. Dr. Klockner displayed BSR's new composting buckets with biodegradable liners (photo). Each separate recycling program comes with a cost, therefore these recycling buckets will be tested in a district in Berlin to see its effectiveness in reducing citizen's complaints.
For more information on BSR: www.bsr.de/
To obtain a comprehensive report from this interview, inquire at theoriginalhoe@live.com
Also visit this blog's post Pro Arcade to see one of Berlin's contracted composting facilities


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