Comlurb participated on the morning of Friday (11/11) in the last day of Rio Innovation Week, a technology and innovation festival held at Píer Mauá, in the city center. The project coordinator of the Company's Technical and Engineering Department, Bernardo Ornelas Ferreira, presented, in the debate panel “Clean up the World”, the innovative waste reuse programs developed at Ecoparque do Caju and which also help to reduce the amount of waste sent to CTR-RIO, collaborating with the environment and increasing the useful life of the landfill.
Bernardo explained to the audience about the Biomethanization Unit, the first in Latin America, which transforms organic waste into energy from biogas and organic compost for soil regeneration. The super fertilizer generated is being used in the recovery of the Tijuca Forest and also in the Hortas Cariocas program, which encourages urban agroecology and access to healthy food in the most vulnerable regions of the city.
The coordinator also spoke about the state-of-the-art equipment donated by the German city of Cologne for fragmenting and screening pruning waste produced by the city. The final product, biomass fuel, is used as thermal energy and in kilns in the ceramics industry. Currently, more than 400 tons are processed per month.
– Our projects at Ecoparque do Caju complete the entire cycle of the circular economy: reducing waste and pollution, recovering resources to recirculate in the production chain and regenerating natural systems. Ecoparque is a model of pioneering technologies and, as Rio is a showcase, participating in events like this is an opportunity to share and disseminate throughout Brazil the good practices that we are developing there – highlighted Bernardo.
The coordinator also spoke about the food security project, also signed with Colônia, which is being developed at Ecoparque do Caju. The location will gain a Food Distribution Center to receive fruits and vegetables in sanitary conditions for consumption and not sold by supermarkets, which will be delivered to the needy population.
Comlurb also took advantage of the event to display the new tractor that is being used for community waste collection. The vehicle facilitates waste collection in hard-to-reach areas such as alleys and lanes, and has the capacity to receive up to 900 kilos of household waste exclusively. The tractor has unique features such as: brakes on all four wheels; an articulated chassis to facilitate maneuvering in narrow streets; and reduced dimensions, measuring 2,20m in height and 1,70m in width.
