Rubbish boom in Student Housing

The amount of waste from flats and bedsits belonging to the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo (SiO) has increased from 39 litres per head in 2002 to 50 litres in 2007, according to Student Housing’s environmental accounts. Yet Student Housing does not wish to expand their waste sorting system. Student Housing is currently following the City of Oslo’s minimum requirements for waste sorting, and is sorting the same materials as other households in the City, which means glass and paper. This means that they are not allowing for the sorting of other materials, such as food waste.

– This is embarrassing for SiO. The City of Oslo has the poorest waste sorting in the country. While we wait for improved waste sorting, SiO should be ahead of the game and organize a temporary waste sorting arrangement, says Arild Hermstad, leader of the environmental organization the Future in Our Hands.

In doing this SiO can also be prepared for when waste sorting is offered in the future, he says.

– The City of Oslo has said that waste sorting will be introduced during the course of 2009, but if I know them, it will take longer, says Hermstad.

Head of Student Housing Tom Olstad, however, cannot promise waste sorting, and says that this is the responsibility of the City of Oslo.

– There has to be an apparatus in place that can receive this, and this does not exist today. The point is that there must be a practical way of dealing with waste sorting. We are talking about considerable amounts of rubbish. I am looking forward to being able to make this happen.

– Too expensive

Currently, only one student village sorts waste other than glass and paper. In Pilestredet Park, all organic waste is sorted. A machine in the cellar compresses the waste, which is later used as compost in the local area. This waste sorting is the result of demands from the City that apply to the area that Pilestredet Park is located in.

– Couldn’t this be done just as easily in other student housing?

– It could, but it would take a lot to carry this out, and it is a matter of resources, says Olstad.

In addition to criticizing the waste management in Student Housing, Hermstad from the Future in Our Hands also thinks that the waste culture among students is sad.

– The statistics worry us, and unfortunately they cast light on the general trends in society that we see. We are getting more and more money, buying more and throwing more things away. Students are no exception, but they should be more conscious of what they buy, and it is important to be aware of what it takes to produce the items that we consume. For every kilo of plastic that you buy, two kilos of oil have been used in production, says Hermstad.

Burying rubbish

Olstad says that until the City of Oslo introduces waste sorting, Student Housing will continue to compress rubbish in so-called « waste wells».

– In principle this means that you make a hole in the ground, put a bag in the hole and put a lid on the top. In this way, you make sure that the waste is compacted. The rubbish has to be emptied less often, which in turn leads to less driving in order to pick up the waste, says Olstad.

He points out that by burying the rubbish, ugly bins are less visible. Olstad admits that this will not affect the amount of rubbish in itself, but in order to reduce the amount, Student Housing will take measures such as awareness campaigns.

– Have you sent out any information so far?

– We currently only have general information about where rubbish can be emptied. Beyond that, we have not done anything concrete, says Olstad.

According to Head of Information at the Agency for Waste Management in the City of Oslo, Kristin Bergesen, Olso City Council has decided to introduce a pilot project for the collection of plastic packaging and food waste in 2009, and the goal is that all households will sort food waste and plastic by the year 2012.