Closed-loop recycling and resources management
Example: Ecological sanitation in India
Approximately 2.6 billion people do not have access to hygienically adequate and safe sanitation facilities. With its project "Ecosan India", seecon gmbh makes a contribution to the solution of this global problem. As an innovative and holistic approach, ecosan (short for ecological sanitation) does not consider human excreta as waste, but as valuable resources. Preferably, urine, faeces and grey water (washing water) are collected and treated separately. Urine is used as liquid fertilizer in the agriculture or in vegetable gardens, composted and sanitised faeces are applied as soil-conditioner in agricultural fields and the biogas obtained from anaerobic treatments can be used as an alternative source of energy. Ecosan systems also ensure the conservation of water resources, as only a minimal quantity of water is needed to run the sanitation facilities. seecon gmbh has implemented several ecosan projects in India, and currently new pilot and demonstration projects are being planned. Currently, we concentrate our activities on capacity development. A first training programme financed by GTZ lasted from 2007 to 2009, and a second training phase has started in 2009. As per the end of 2009, we have held training courses with roughly 400 people. The participants included NGO staff members, government representatives, water supply and sanitation engineers, scientists, environmentalists, social workers, government representatives etc., who now implement projects on their own or further disseminate the knowledge.
Example: Tropical greenhouses
For almost a decade, visitors of the tropical greenhouse Wolhusen (“Tropenhaus Wolhusen”) have been fascinated by how waste heat can be used in an innovative and sustainable way. Through intelligent nutrient and water loops, waste heat that is not usable otherwise, rainwater, solar energy and fish fodder are used to grow fresh and organic tropical products.
Now, regionally grown papaya, guava, sweet bananas, starfruits (carambola), Tilapia (fish) as well as spices, chutneys and jams find their way into kitchens and local restaurants. Due to this success, seecon gmbh has designed several new tropical greenhouses. Three of them were implemented so far: Wolhusen, Frutigen and Rennsteig in Nordbayern. The seecon project “Tropical greenhouse” in Rennsteig received the E.ON-Environmental Prize.
Example: Illegal waste disposal in public areas
Over the past 10 to 15 years, European cities and municipalities were increasingly confronted with the problem of waste accumulation in public areas. The most obvious cause of this increasing contamination is littering, i.e. the thoughtless and improper disposal of wastes that originate on one’s way. A similar waste load is caused through illegally disposal of household waste in public areas. Since 2003, seecon gmbh, in cooperation with the University of Basel, conducts studies and campaigns for private and public clients. In 2006, the national bilingual campaign “Littering? Not me!“ was launched. By using representative material flow analyses, the data base related to illegal disposal of waste was extended, allowing the development of specific measures.
Further information about littering (in German)