Hultabygdens Kretsloppsförening The Hulta community recycling association

Hultabygdens Kretsloppsförening – The Hulta community recycling association § Cooperation between households and farms, 30 km south of Linköping § Main aim is to adapt existing settlements to a recycling society

Sustainability § With the concept of sustainability is often meant long term sustainability. The aim is to develop systems that are sustainable. § Its obvious that the ecological system is the overall system. It is managed by natural law and because of this not negotiable. § Economic and social sustainability is as necessary, but has a completely different character. Social and economical factors can, contrary to ecological boundaries, be controlled and changed by human decisions. § We can and ought to create necessary economic and social conditions to enable ecological sustainability. But there is no way to move ecological boundaries to fit to economic or social desires

The three systems that control and influence us Nature Human beings Economy Technique

Production of food In a sustainable society it’s obvious that the food is organically produced. § Organic agriculture is a farming system based on recycling and the use of renewable resources. This increases the possibilities to economize with nutrients and reduce the leakage. § This maintains the long term production capacity of the soil. § This maintains the biodiversity in the farming landscape (e. g. due to that insects is not sprayed with pesticides, which is good also for birds feeding on insects). § This gives the animal good living conditions. § By not adding chemical pesticides the diffusion of chemicals is reduced in the world. It is also obvious food is locally produced. § There is no reason to transport food longer distances than necessary. § Local production give provision for living and employment in the local community. § Societies which are striving to be as self-sufficient as possible are less vulnerable in case a crisis of any kind. § Close relations creates identity and trust

How to enhance consumption of local products? § Create possibilities to store. To buy local often result in that one has to buy larger quantities at fewer occasions (at harvest or slaughter). Eventually it is necessary to store the annual use of the product. § Make buying easy and comfortable. Otherwise it is easy to buy the products when shopping in the ordinary grocery shop. § Have good and easy information about the assortment, so that everyone knows what available to buy. § Make the price attractive. When omitting middlemen the possibilities that both producers and consumers will gain on the business increases. § Increase the understanding of the value in local production

Sewage, nutrient recycling The main part of the nutrients that flows through a household will end up in the toilet. About 80% will be found in the urine. We have to find methods to safely recycle the nutrients in our sewage. Because these nutrients originate from the fields. The association has planed the work in four steps, on basis of what is economically possible: § § 1. An environmentally sound spreading of three camber gullies directly on the field 2. Urine separation – local use 3. Separation + composting of faeces – local use 4. Biological cleaning of water from bath, wash and laundry with the use of nutrient uptake in crops. Since 1994 we have taken care of the sewage from our 30 households and recycled it back to the fields. The first years we spread the sewage directly on the field after analysis. Later a dehydrating car (avvattningsbil) have been used that make our 90 cubic metre of sludge into 4 cubic metre of material that could be composted. The year 2000 the association participated in a local investment program with the name “Hultabygden – a model area for local recirculation of nutrients” § This resulted in that we today have 18 households with separation of urine.

Energy § In a recycling society the energy use is based on renewable energy sources such as sun wind and water. § Wood is the most used source of heat in the community. Some households have installed sun panels, some have heat pumps and others have bought in shares in wind power. § On the fuel side there is much to do, even if some in the community drive on rape seed oil or biogas.

Only together we can change § A sense of community is a strong driving force that ties people together in the community. § Through e. g. social activities we spread ideas and knowledge around what we are working for – the ideas about recycling.

Manicken Pizz

Energy use under different condtions Energy From storages Flowes from the sun Time

The impact on the development of the society of the supply of energy Energyuse Industrial farming Export Sundriven ekosystem Transport Big city Import

STORAGE S MINES INDUSTRY P FERTILIZER PESTICIDES HERBICIDES DETERGENT S PF LO FOSSIL ENERGY OIL & NATURAL GAS § § Linear flows MINERAL PHOSPHORUS WS P AGRICULTURE FR OM P SO UR Food CITIES CE ST RESOURCE DEPLETION O SE HIGH ENERGY DEMAND A POTENTIAL SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS POLLUTION WASTE or LEAKAGE P WATERS FG

One hectare: Balanced agriculture: Animals are fed with plants growing from their manure ─ about 80% circulation of nutrients Feed Manure PO 4 The solution to linear flows: • circular flows • nutrient recycling

One hectare: Feed Manure Food The 3 -4 kg amounts to the P content of the excrements from 5 persons PO 4 . . but 3 -4 kg of the phosphorus (20%) is exported as food = 0, 2 ha/pers Urine

One hectare: Feed . . these nutrients must be returned to close the cycle With sourceseparating toilets, nutrients can be recycled Manure Food PO 4 Urine = 0, 2 ha/pers

Obstacles § § § A continuous supply of cheap energy. The large scale structure. That we don’t realise that there is both economic and uneconomic growth. § That the gap between poor and rich continue to increase.

Success factors § + When other values than material gain in importance. § + When each of us take responsibility for our on sufficiency – high self-sufficiency. § + Encourage positive examples § + Cooperate with nature instead of conquer it. § + When costs for environmental damages are made visible.

Agriculture with climate care Farmers and researchers do research together to develop sustainable and climate neutral agriculture. This is done, with basis in research and practical reality, with the aim of: § Developing and assessing tools and methods for the changes needed § Learning together, inspire and talk about sustainability with people around. Our idea is agriculture § Where oil is exchanged by renewable resources and services. § Based on recycling § That uses biological diversity as tools in production § That is multifunctional § That is fair