Circular economy

The purpose is to recycle and reuse products and resources. Instead of manufacturing, buying and throwing things away, in a circular economy, products are used for as long as possible.

Local goals / schedule

• Reduce the consumption of newly manufactured goods.
• Get started sharing existing products.
• Packaging in environmentally smart packaging, for example fruit and vegetables in grocery stores.
• Reuse of consumer products.
• Start urban farming and grow vegetables in the district with the aim of becoming self-sufficient in certain vegetables and fruits that require long transports.

Activities
The circular economy project includes the following activities / projects:

• Sustainability manager
  Each housing association must have a sustainability manager who actively pursues sustainability issues in their building.
• Reuse
  Set of shelves for recycling in the brf’s environmental room.
• Lånelådan – The borrow box
  Digital and physical place for sharing gadgets (skis, drilling machines, etc.).
• Shops
  Influence grocery stores and suppliers to reduce the number of packages and to use a special food waste bag for vegetables and fruit. The project also includes getting more second-hand shops for clothes in the district.
• Greenhouse
  Establishment of greenhouses for local cultivation of vegetables that utilize waste heat for year-round production.
• Klimatspanarna
  Workshops for residents in Sjöstan. The following topics have been addressed at the meetings: building hydropon cultivation, building bee hotels, reducing food waste and making train journeys in Europe. We have also produced short film clips about Klimatspanarna for social media and have over 1.000 views per film.

Current situation
We have arranged a number of physical events with Klimatspanarna to inform about circular economy. The topics has been how we can reduce consumption and utilize natural resources in a sustainable way.

We have launched a recycling shelf for the environmental spaces in our housing associations and we are also testing the ”Borrow Box”. The grocery stores in Hammarby Sjöstad have introduced the food waste bag for fruit and vegetables, instead of plastic bags.

A greenhouse of 50 square meters is planned to be set up in one of the green areas in Sjöstan. The project is a collaboration with Carnegie brewery and restaurant. The intention is to use waste heat from the brewery’s beer production for local vegetable production.

Comment
Our digital events have reached a larger target group and more people in comparison to our physical meetings.

Framtidsspanarna and Start Up
The purpose is to, through activities and projects at the schools in Sjöstan, create awareness and commitment to environmental issues among the students.

Local goals / schedule

• To carry out at least two school projects in Hammarby Sjöstad per year.
• To spread the school project to other municipalities and districts.
• That the parents should also get involved in the children’s interest in sustainability issues.

Educational initiatives in circular economy

Activities
The projects Framtidsspanarna and Start Up include the following activities / projects:

• Framtidsspanarna
  The activity is adapted for grades 4–6. For two weeks the students has developed new products or services that can have a positive impact on the environment and climate, preferably adapted to be used in Hammarby Sjöstad.
• Start Up
  The project has been completed in grades 8–9 and in high school. The students develops simple business plans for products and services with an environmental / climate focus. The project period has extended from a full day to a week, depending on the availability of time.

Current situation
In total, about 1.000 students from schools in Hammarby Sjöstad have participated in the activities.

Comment
For three years, ElectriCITY has run the school projects Framtidsspanarna and Start Up in Hammarby Sjöstad. The activities have been much appreciated, both among students and teachers. Each project has ended with the students presenting their idea or product to a jury of entrepreneurs and experts in sustainability. The best ideas and / or products have received an award.

After the completion of the projects, an evaluation has been made together with the schools and we see a clear tendency towards in-depth knowledge of environmental / climate issues among the students who have completed the project twice, in 4th and 6th grade.

The main challenge has been to gain access to the schools, to make the educators understand the importance of the project. This is not included in the school curriculum and the regular teaching. However, the students and teachers who participated have been very positive and we try to use them as a reference when we now plan new projects in the upcoming semesters.