the Plastic Saviour: Preparing Amsterdam to become a Plastic Smart City
Team
Name: Ludovica Beltrami,
Nationality: Italian
Name: Daniele Ceragno
Nationality: Italian
-FINALIST of Amsterdam Cycling Bridge Competition
As I approach the bridge, the first thing that strikes me is the cloud of water vapour. I am walking up a beautiful green hill, the park is full of people enjoying some fresh air in this hot summer day. When I reach the top, my attention is drawn towards the bubbling water below. It is the bubble barrier, an innovative environmental-friendly device which directs the plastic floating on the Ij towards the Recycling Plant underneath me. In this way, 42 tonnes per year of plastics can be removed from the from the waters of the city every day. This same waste-treatment allowed the construction of the bridge itself, which is clad in upcycled plastic coming from both the water and the households of the close-by hybrid towers of the Hamerkwartier, on the north side, the new completely circular neighbourhood of Amsterdam.
After decades of battles and controversies, the crossing of the Ij was finally understood to be the opportunity for collective benefit. This is more than a simple bridge: it is a new beginning for the city of Amsterdam!
#Water Pollution #Clean Water & sanitation #Smart Cities #Meeting the circular target #Green Infrastructure
