Living in a dump

In the large prefab residential blocks built during the communist era in Poland, emptying your dustbin into a hole situated in the stair-well must have seemed like a good idea. Nobody at the time was that aware of intelligent rubbish usage, and the very concept of waste management was in its infancy. The effects were not long in coming: neglected chutes became a hotbed of stench, filth and a breeding ground for all kinds of vermin. It should be no surprise then that a stigma is still attached to this method of waste disposal today. "Potential apartment buyers often ask about rubbish chutes in buildings - and certainly not because it's a plus factor. Chutes engender very negative associations and discourage people from buying apartments in such buildings. Residents actually prefer to travel ten floors down the lift to take their rubbish out rather than throw it down an insect-infested chute. That was why we dispensed with such methods a long time ago in order to respond better to buyers' expectations. Dustbin areas are now located in separate rooms, usually on the ground floor. The number of residents who sort their rubbish has also been growing in our estates, and it is the building manager's task to make it easier for them by providing suitable containers," says Małgorzata Ostrowska, the director of the retail division at J.W. Construction Holding. Ronson's clients also have negative connotations when it comes to older refuse disposal methods. "There are no rubbish chutes in any of our projects. We are not planning to install any in the future because they are negatively perceived by all our residents. Nobody wants to live in a place where the waste from the whole building is disposed of in this way. The best solution simply involves the construction of dustbin areas outside the residential building, as far from the apartments as possible," explains Andrzej Gutowski, the sales and marketing director of Ronson Development.

Without prejudice
TriSorter is a company which originates from the USA and also operates on the Canadian market. One of its ideas has been implemented in Toronto. Rubbish is collected by a single stream system: bottles, tins, plastic and paper, etc. are all placed in the same container. Then, automatic devices sort and direct the different kinds of waste from one chute to three separate bins with the help of a number of flaps and valves. The separation of the waste for recycling is carried out at the municipal automated waste management plant. However, the negative connotations that rubbish chutes carry with them have thus far failed to take root beyond the borders of Poland. In Songdo outside Seoul the decision has been taken to implement this kind of idea on a large scale. Each building is to be connected to an underground system of waste collecting pipes, as are the bins that are placed all over the city. This is expected to limit the runs of dustcarts, which in turn will contribute to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The scheme could eliminate all the negatives involved in using the chute system. "Old-style chutes in apartment blocks have many drawbacks, such as the possibility of insect infestation, as they can nest in the rubbish chute and travel along the chute's shaft. But this problem is rather a theoretical one and avoidable, since it should not happen provided an appropriate level of hygiene and dustbin sterilisation is maintained," argues Hubert Piziorski, a technical expert working for Okam Capital.

The Swedes also have an idea
Perhaps chutes will come back into vogue with the help of such new technologies? Swedish firm Envac (a sister-company of Stena Recycling) is just entering the Polish market with its Envac system - a chute which, through the use of underground pipes and an air suction system, sends the rubbish, deposited in specially connected dustbins, directly to a waste sorting plant. "The residents throw their waste, depending on what type it is, into the appropriate bins located in the stair-wells and/or at the front of the building. The rubbish goes into individual containers, which are emptied twice a day. It takes 30 seconds and is controlled by a computer. A rush of air from the outside sucks the contents of the container into a waste pipe and the rubbish is then sucked at a speed of 70 km per hour into the respective containers in a mini-ecostation located close to the building. The refuse is sorted thoroughly and then transported out. The distance between the container and the station where the rubbish ends up should not be more than 2 km. Before being released into the surrounding area, the air is filtered and cleaned," explains Carl Johan M?we, a manager at Envac Scandinavia, about the functioning of the system. A system with three containers for different kinds of refuse, such as paper, organic waste and plastic, is normally used. There is a problem, however, with having a separate container for glass - it is too heavy for the pipes, and the sharp edges of broken glass could quickly degrade the underground corridor. In the UK a system has been introduced to combine glass with organic waste, limiting the damage to a large extent. The Envac system has the facility to separate individual kinds of waste by using designated bins, but it can also work on a general basis - rubbish can be thrown into one bin and then separated manually in a sorting plant. Refuse such as food leftovers can be processed into biogas, which can later even be used to power city buses. One advantage of such a solution is the fact that the rubbish does not lie around in the bins, the containers or the storage areas, so there is no unpleasant smell or dirt. Moreover, the system takes up little space and is fully automated. Because it is based on an underground pipe system, the developer should ideally install it in the building at an early stage. This is important because the pipes can be laid underground during the earthwork for the installation of the sewage system, the electricity or the telephone lines. The system is now being used in such places as airports, hospitals, office buildings and residential estates. It has also been installed at Wembley stadium. The cost of doing this depends on the population density in a given area and the number of containers for the different kinds of rubbish. It usually comes to EUR 1,000-2,000 per apartment. "Our system is fully airtight and the outlets for the containers are emptied twice a day, therefore the problem of insects, rats or birds is eliminated," claims Carl Johan M?we. The company has prepared an offer for Polish residential developers, but it is also negotiating with airport and hospital managers. However, Carl Johan M?we declined to reveal who he is in negotiations with. So far the company has yet to find Polish clients. Envac now has a tough nut to crack: how to encourage Polish partners to invest in this system and change their attitudes to chutes inside buildings.