This project is aimed at optimising waste collection and disposal, with an eye put into Switzerland. The objective is to reduce collateral environmental burdens related to our domestic waste.
What is it? How does it work? How can I get one? More info in the following weeks! :)

Junto con nuetro curso online sobre Biometano Vehicular, hemos creado también un curso genérico y extenso sobre biometano. 

En él podrás aprender cómodamente a tu ritmo qué son el el biogás y el biometano, en que se parecen y diferencian del gas natural, sus recursos y sistemas de producción, sus multiples usos. También podrás conocer sus consecuencias de cara a una Economía Circular y su potencial medioambiental.

​¡El curso comienza en breve! Podrás encontrar más información y la matrícula en este link. 

¡Apúntate!

As we well know, oil and water don't mix with each other, and the density of cooking oil is lower than that of water. Thus, the oil poured can create a film on top of sewage water, hindering its oxygenation. In an atmosphere lacking oxygen, there are microorganisms able to transform the organic matter dissolved into methane, which has a Global Warming potential 23 times higher than CO2!

Once arrived to the sewage water treatment plant, the oil is already dispersed into drops which reduces the efficiency of the first treatment processes. In the end, it may oblige to add specific oil removal stages, excessive for a simple domestic sewage water plant. Later in the process, it can hamper digestion of organic matter during the biological treatment, as it disturbs regular bacterial development. As a result, it increases costs and may give rise to higher taxes for compensation (so called "externalities").

Finally, it can get stuck to your pipes, creating a crust, and trapping or retaining particles, dirt, and waste, resulting in bad smells and poor hygienic conditions for your home.

So, what to do with this oil if we don't want to use it? 

Eco-tip: Oil is a problem for a water treatment system. However, it is also a great biofuel. Thus, why not taking advantage of it through energy recovery?

1. Squeeze the oil into a small bowl. 
2. Take some used kitchen paper and use it to absorb the oil.
3. Dispose the oily paper into the garbage bag. 

Simple, huh? A combination of waste paper and oil will provide the municipal waste incineration plant with renewable fuel :)

Cooking tip (extra): 
Put the oil in a salad or use it for a marinate (especially if it's olive oil). It will give to your dishes a delicious fishy taste. 

A sandwich maker can make your life so easy...if it works. Despite it's a rather simple device, mine failed. So I had two problems: hunger and a device to fix. I guessed it had to be the rheostat. Either way, I had to open it to unveil the guts.

I got my nothing-especial blue-collar toolbox, picked the set of screwdrivers and...Tataaaa! I found the screw in the image. I tried and I tried but it was impossible to unscrew with a regular tool.
Three options were possible:  

1. to throw it away and buy a new one.
2. to buy an especial screwdriver and a new rheostat to fix it. 
3. to pay a professional to repair it. 

It's a shame, but the cheapest option was option #1. And this is what happens in most of cases. A single screw can mean the different between something repairable and the end-of-life of a product, forcing users to purchase new ones with double environmental impact: material consumption + waste generation. 

Eco-tip: a well ecodesigned product will always use standardised components to ease repairing, disassembly, assembly, remanufacturing. This way we just replace single elements and not entire products.

PS: no sandwich makers where harmed in this post. I sold it to someone able to fix it, and bought a secondhand one. Long life to Circular Economy!

Each country (even regions or municipalities) try to find the way to ease waste collection to recycle certain materials or to optimise energy recovery through waste incineration. There are well-intentioned people all around the World eager to recycle. But, is waste sorted properly? What do we do when a waste product combines more than one material? 
​As an example, I found this broken hanger. The body is made of polypropylene (PP) and the hook of steel. Where should I throw away this hanger? plastics? metals? incineration?

A short  background description. In Switzerland, generally, disposal points differentiate PET, aluminium (cans), glass, batteries, light-bulbs, non PET plastics (HDPE, PP), paper. Less commons are organic waste, cardboard, domestic metals (tins), clothing, and such. Such wide classification is kind of confusing, isn't it? But when facing confusion, Swiss citizens use a Joker: a white taxed bag where they can put whatever.

We all will agree: waste should be sorted before disposal. But most people don't have 8-10 different rubbish bins at home. Later, at the collection point, is far too late. Besides, lack of knowledge about materials and their recovery process make collection and recycling less efficient. I myself found the disposal of a simple hanger rather difficult. 

For Circular Economy and ecodesign engineering, material recovery or recycling (or alternatively energy recovery) are essential. Here we give you some general tips to sort your waste (regardless your country) when the products include several materials. 

​Eco-tip:

1. Try to separate materials manually when possible before disposal. An easy first-step sorting process separates paper, glass, metals, plastics, and others. Then, go after following points. 
2. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), including toys and devices carrying chips, cables, batteries, and the like, shall be disposed of in special containers at your local recycling point. Do never throw away WEEE in a regular bin!
3. Plastics have less value than metals. If you can't separate plastics from metals, put the mix in the container for metals. 
4. Separate aluminium when possible. It requires much energy in production from raw materials. You may recognise aluminium because of its lightness and because magnets do not stick to it. 
5. Different plastics have different properties and cannot be recycled together. Separate plastics by following the symbols - find more information here - or according to your local requirements (Swiss rules distinguish between "PET" - #1 - and "Others")
6. Never pour oils by the kitchen sink or in the toilette! when oil recycling is not allowed, absorb it with used kitchen papers and put it in a regular garbage bag. 
7. If organic waste is used for biogas production, avoid mixing bones, eggshells, plastics, and chemicals. Dry organic waste works well, too.
8. Wood is not cardboard nor paper (despite they come from wood). They are generally treated or coated and so they go separately. 
9. If paper is covered with oil, too dirty, or is mixed with plastics, put it in a regular container. Magazine paper is likewise recyclable.
10. Glass and ceramics are different materials. Do not put ceramics in the glass container. In addition, the bottle lids are made of tin, and should go elsewhere (to a container for metals, for instance). 
11. compress your waste and empty out liquids there contained before disposal. The flatter and compact you make it, the lesser the air you carry in  your rubbish bag.

There are many other tips that we could come up with, but it may be enough for a post. We may add some more in a future. By the way, the hanger was split into hook and body: the hook to the domestic metals container, and the plastic to a white bag for energy recovery.

Nueva edición del curso online Biometano Vehicular, ofrecido por Eco-efficient Design a través de la plataforma de Structuralia.

Aprende desde casa y a tu ritmo cómo se producen el biogás y el biometano, y sus aplicaciones, beneficios, y consecuencias en el sector vehicular.

Más información y matrícula en 
​https://www.structuralia.com/formacion/biometano-vehicular

​¡Apúntate! Comienza el 19 de septiembre.

Have you ever wondered about the calories you've burnt during your workout? At EeD we've considered that and found the way to convert them into renewable energy. This is what FitWatt is about.

The concept is simple: a power plant run by exercise machines in a gym. Our new concept machines are especially designed to convert your workout movements into electricity. They are unique and nothing alike to others. For example, our rowing machine (see below) reproduces natural rowing movements, meaning better performance and smoother workout.

A FitWatt gym is not a conventional gym. The exploitation costs are radically reduced or even become profits thanks to the energy produced through interconnected machines. The electricity can be either stored (self-consumption) or sold to the grid (energy producer) as required.

Find this approach interesting? Are renewables and Circular Economy business opportunities appealing to you?
Don't hesitate to contact us!

Here it is! Our latest ecodesign project: the FITWATT system. Our network has again shared creativity and know-how to create a whole system integrating both new renewable energy approaches and innovating business management strategies.

From tomorrow (April 6 to 8), we will be at Palexpo in Geneva to present the details of this unique business model at the Climate Show. This project provides a great opportunity to investors and companies willing to tackle climate issues whereas attaining outstanding economic results within a Circular Economy framework.