Waste Not, Want Not

Our first technical visit was to the Arborea Municipal Waste Complex, which collects and sorts solid waste from the Oristano region of Sardinia. Our tour started in the control room, which gave us a bird's-eye view of the entire facility.

Municipal solid waste being piled at the facility

Municipal solid waste arrives already separated into organic waste, plastics and metals, glass, paper and cardboard, and refuse. In 2008, approximately 80,000 tonnes of waste was sent to the landfill, but due to recycling and separation, the quantity has decreased to approximately 12,000 tonnes per year.

After an overview of the facility, we began our tour. We were given face masks and optional suits, but unfortunately they did little to mask the smell.

     

Our tour started with a look at the composting process. For high quality compost, a specific ratio of food waste to yard waste (such as tree branches, leaves, etc.) must be used. The RSU has a machine that monitors the ratio and mixes as needed.

After the correct ratio is achieve, the organic waste is pulverized and allowed to sit and decompose for two weeks.

Air from the indoor composting area is collected and channeled through pipes to be filtered in a biofiltration area. The air comes through openings in the floor and plants filter and purify the air.

     

After the organic waste has sat inside for two weeks, it is moved outside, where it will continue to decompose for at least another two weeks. The final compost product is sold to local farmers to use in their fields.

Our tour also included the plastic separation process at the facility. Plastic and metal come to the facility together and are loaded onto a conveyor belt.

     

Workers sort through the plastic and remove pieces that are too large.

The conveyor belt is magnetic, so after large pieces of plastic are removed, the plastic and metal can easily be separated. While the plastic falls off the conveyor belt, the metal products stick to it.

After separation and sorting, material can be compressed and shipped to facilities that can finish the recycling process.

Material that is cannot be recycled is moved to the landfill at the facility.

Our tour ended in the employee break room, where we were treated to cookies and snacks. On the way back to Cagliari, we made a stop in San Sperate, a small town that was home to artist Pinuccio Sciola. The village itself is full of public art. We walked around the town for about an hour, enjoying the sun, clean air, and art at every corner, before heading home for the day.