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29 April 2024

It is a sad fact that only a small fraction of the huge amount of plastic produced worldwide is recycled. How can we prevent plastic waste and reduce our pollution? It is worth taking a look at how other cultures have come up with solutions to make everyday life more sustainable.

Sustainability in Eastern Europe and Russia

Our first stop is Russia. There, water is sold at kiosks with a self-service system which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is one kiosk for every 15,000 inhabitants. The water comes from a spring and goes into reusable bottles of 2,5 or 19 litres.

Furthermore, it is also common in Russia to buy dry foods in bulk. Russians often buy sugar or flour in (very) large bags of 25 kg. This avoids a lot of packaging waste. Russia and other Eastern European countries also have a long tradition of avoiding food waste through preservation techniques such as pickling, drying and fermentation. People with their own gardens often preserve their own fruit and vegetables.

Sustainability in the Moroccan countryside

Morocco’s hot climate makes saving water an absolute priority, especially in rural areas. A lot of traditional customs focus on this. Eating from one communal large dish, for example, reduces the amount of washing up. Water used for washing is afterwards recycled to flush the toilet.

In the region of Temsamane (Rif mountains, north-eastern Morocco), a traditional irrigation technique is still used today whereby water is diverted from a small river to fields in the villages at an agreed time. Each village is allowed to open the dam at a specific time for a certain period of time. This way, all fields are regularly irrigated, but the small river also maintains its natural course. Drinking water is fetched by horse or donkey from a spring. The water is kept in terracotta jars, so no plastic is used and the water stays cool for a long time.

In the Moroccan desert, we find the so-called khettara networks. This system consists of a series of wells connected by an underground tunnel that leads from a more distant well to the fields. The exploitation of a water vein makes habitation possible in regions where there is no surface water. Remains of such systems have been found in various parts of the world, the oldest dating back to Persia in the 6th century BC. Sometimes they are still in use, but increasingly they are falling into disrepair, including in Morocco. Researchers (including University of New Mexico) are currently exploring ways in which we can learn from these ancient irrigation techniques to use water in a more sustainable way.

Loppis in Sweden

The Vossenplein flea market is an institution in Brussels. The city also has numerous second-hand shops and thrift shops. Giving a second life to household goods, textiles, books, toys, etc. is an important part of striving for a more sustainable existence.

Here, we take second-hand inspiration from the north, at Swedish loppis. The word loppis is short for loppmarknad, which literally also means ‘flea market’. Yet it differs slightly from what we usually mean by it. A loppis is often located in people’s homes, for instance in a garage or garden shed, and is indicated by a roadside sign. It sounds like a garage sale, but a lot of loppisar open their doors every spring. It is always a surprise what exactly you can find there, it can range from old junk to valuable items.

Also typically Swedish is a stuga: an often simple wooden cottage, ideally located by the water, used as a second residence during the summer months. Swedes like to decorate such stuga with what they have managed to pick up in a loppis. It’s durable, original and a nice alternative to the self-built kit.

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