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| http://www.mariavazphoto.com/curitiba_pages/curitiba_dvd.html |
RECYCLING
Curitiba has a great role in Recycling programs since the
1970's. Civil Engineer Nicolau Kluppel explained how he developed
a program that rewarded Curitiba with a United Nations award
in 1990 for his first of its kind in the world idea on trash
collection and separation.
Kluppel was concerned about the amount of waste going to the
landfill and the rapid growth of the city. Many poor people
from the countryside were moving to Curitiba creating shantytowns
along flooded riverbank areas. The city did not have money
to add more trucks to pick up trash and some places were not
accessible. Kluppel's idea was utilizing shantytown people
to collect trash in exchange for transportation passes (No
cost was implied because the city pays, to this day, private
companies that run the transportation system by kilometers
run, not by passengers). Immediately after great response
from the shantytown population, the station portrayed here
was created. A campaign called Trash that is not trash** was
successfully expanded to entire city.
The Recycling Station has room to prepare people of different
ages to learn and engage on the recycling processes. It has
class and conference rooms, a playground, museum, and a collection
of art and objects built with material collected. The facility
accommodates drug addicts and other problem people (50% of
the people who work here are under care and 50% are employees),
and income generated goes to charity programs run by the city's
first lady.
City government and creators were interested in recycling
to protect the environment. Recycling to reduce landfill problems
and reuse harmful materials such as tires, polystyrene (Styrofoam),
plastic, and other non-biodegradable wastes. In addition,
they generate income for social benefits to the poor people.
Yet to come, Recycling Station Manager Alfredo Cardoso explained
research going to transform plastic bags into material to
replace wood for the construction of railroad ties.
**The program helped city to maintain clean, reduce landfill
problem, and generate income for social assistances by selling
recyclables and reutilizing almost all that was collected.
The only idem not taken was organic waste such as food.
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Curitiba Christmas Tree - This image
was taken in front of Curitiba City Hall on December 2005.
The Curitiba native people made these baskets. It is a tradition
for the Indians to sit and make baskets. Even if they have
no use for, they still make them. Therefore, the city bought
them and built this intriguing Christmas tree. |
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Styrofoam Processing - This
collage shows the process in which machine and worker prepare
and weigh material to be sold to manufacturing facilities
where it will be shredded and reutilized. |
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Curitiba a Recycling City - this image
represents Curitiba as a pioneer in recycling through the
reuse of non-decomposable materials such as tires and Styrofoam. |
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Curitiba Waste Management - The superimposed
images represent the way that trash is turned into
"flowers" and other fine objects at stations. For
every fifteen trashed computers collected, one computer is
made. Employees and children are learning to use them at the
Recycling Station Conference room. |
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Opera de Arame: a Recycled Building -
This collage is an overview of the material Opera de Arame
is made of. It is made of recycled pipes. |
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Recycling Tree - This piece is a symbol
of the renovation process of life, presented as a family tree.
The roots are what keep the tree standing; thus the 'carrinheiros'
are the roots of the Curitiba Recycling System, as they collect
over 80% of the recycled items in the city. The separation
line is the trunk that represents the caretakers, which parents
are. The branches represent the collection of all recyclable
items and its transformation. The fruits on this tree are
re-uses, renovation, education, and hence wisdom: recycling
for a better future. The station which is called in Portuguese,
Usina de Valorização de Rejeitos -UVR,
is a multi-utilities station; It has a museum, conference/classroom,
and a recreaional area including a playground. It has room
for visitors to learn about recycling processes. Place to
learn that old plastic bottles and toothpaste tubes can be
transformed into toys, roof and more. Paper becomes new notebooks
and art pieces. This station is unique because it is a recovery
center for drug addicts and other people with problems. |
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