Eco-cycle

A sustainable society needs to recycle, reuse and minimise consumption in all its cycles. All properties in Västra Hamnen must have access to facilities for separating packaging, food waste and mixed waste.

Various methods have been tried out for collecting food waste in Västra Hamnen. In the Bo01 area, most dwellings have access to vacuum systems that are able to transport waste underground and refuse trucks do not need to drive into the residential quarter. They can stop outside and collect the waste.

Some dwellings, for example the 147 in the Turning Torso, have waste disposal units in their sinks that are connected to a separate collection tank from which refuse trucks can collect food waste. This new application proved to be so successful that it subsequently became standard in Fullriggaren quarter, where all 600 dwellings were fi tted with waste disposal units from the start. The food waste collected throughout Malmö is then converted into biogas which can be used
to fuel city buses, for example, and biofertiliser that can replace artificial fertiliser on fields.

Soil remediation

Not so long ago, a large part of Västra Hamnen was sea. However,
excavation materials were gradually tipped into the sea and industry was developed and then phased out in the area. Consequently, soil remediation was necessary before residential building could begin.
For the homes fair in 2001, surveys revealed high content of toxic substances at certain sites and roughly 10,000 tonnes of excavated materials were processed.

The soil that was excavated underwent a number of tests and as much as 75% of the soil could be directly returned to the area. The remaining 25% was sent for remediation and processed chemically and biologically. However, in several sites, the pollution levels were so low that it was suffi cient to cover the old soil with clean new soil. The water in the canals in the Bo01 area is pumped in as the canal is planned and built to be several metres above sea level. This means that the water in the canal does not pass through polluted soil strata, minimising the risks of spreading
toxic substances.