Trashure Island - a proposal for a circular economy in Tropicana

From Beyond Social
Revision as of 12:29, 30 January 2015 by Iris Schutten (talk | contribs)

Author: Students Masterclass The Circular Economy, WdKA

START IS GOED< MISSCHIEN DRASTISCH INKOTRTEN ? VERHAAL WORDT OK IN VIDEOPRESENTATIES VERTELD ? EN DAN WEL VEEL PLAATSJES + BIJDSCHRIFTEN?| IRIS


New strategies such as the Blue Economy (Gunter Pauli) and Sustainism (Michael Schwarz and Diana Krabbendam) propose solutions to ecological, economic and social crises. These movements see local materials (waste products, local communities & expertise) as valuable assets, transforming linear processes into circular processes and valuing long-term performance over short-term gain. What are working business models for such reorganisations?

Tropicana, from a dream in decay to an opportunity for change

During the past century, most cities have become agglomerations of monofunctional districts which are basically disconnected from each other. Residential neighbourhoods, industrial estates, office complexes, farming districts and recreational areas are spatially delimited by administrative boundaries, making it harder to make good use of their mutual presence. The ever-increasing flow of goods, energy, water, food and even capital is disconnected form the location where these are created, contributing to endless transportation, traffic congestion, waste of energy and pollution. In a special master class at the WdKA Redesigning Business event, an interdisciplinary group of students sought ways to promote the exchange between such existing flows by making smart new connections; the main requirement of an ecosystem. The host of this master class was Rotterzwam, a local mushroom farming business which grows mushrooms on left-over coffee grounds. Their working business case was we used as a starting point for a proposal in which a former sub-tropical swimming paradise is turned into a centre for innovation: sustainable, connecting and regenerative.

Tropicana, a true aquatic paradise

The masterclass took place in Tropicana, an iconic building on the river Maas in Rotterdam that was build in 1988. It was a promise of a tropical experience, a true aquatic paradise. Due to lack of maintenance and plans to redevelop it into an eventhall Tropicana closed it's doors in the summer of 2010. Due to bankruptcy in 2011 this redevelopment never happened and the building became a dream in decay. At the moment though, smaller but maybe also more interesting developments are heppening there. It now serves as a temporary location for various businesses including a restaurant and a bar as well as facilities for roasting coffee and farming oyster mushrooms on left-over coffee grounds. Can this landmark become a metaphor for new ways of thinking, sharing, working and relaxing, with an important focus on recycling as well as research into flows of goods, energy, water, food and even capital? Can we make smart connections between local surpluses, shortages and bottlenecks, thus creating new functions and business cases for Tropicana?

Mcce afbeelding 1.jpg

From a sub-tropical paradise to a dream in decay


Trashure island

The city of Rotterdam has high ambitions regarding sustainability sustainability. Why not use Tropicana as a building that represents sustainable development and give the building the iconic status back?! Tropicana could become 'Trashure Island', an island which will share and show sustainable ideas, mainly focussing on how to reuse waste flows. This creates a circular economy. It will be an ecosystem consisting of a lab and a knowledge centre where local people can learn by doing and where innovation and experiments can take place. This way the mindset of people can be changed and will be a new kind of educating. This results in BIY: a Blue it yourself- economy. The waste flows of the the poppodium, which will soon be in the building, and the restaurant will also be a part of the circular ecosystem. This way, waste flows, trash and unemployed people become the new gold. Trash becomes treasure again. It is an innovative way of creating awareness for sustainability for the people of Rotterdam and eventually for the rest of the world. This way, people can be introduced to the blue economy in an innovative way of education, as explained further in our presentation (video & images) and case study in which we present Treasure Beer; a new beer brand, that coould be consumed as well produced in Tropicana (see video advertorial).

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/116853038" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

This schedule shows how the ecosystem functions and which flows are a part of this system. It consists of a natural and a social flow. The natural flow has an input existing of waste, sunlight, water and air. These flows enter the system and transform into products, made by different stakeholders. These stakeholders can benefit from each other’s products, waste and rest flows. In this way, a circular ecosystem emerges. The social circle shows how people asinput, create knowledge and experience. The people that participate in the system transform energy into value. This value is very important for the social system of Rotterdam and can eventually reach the rest of the world. The value here is global knowledge, local awareness, and social prosperity trough sustainable thinking.

Trashure Island profits from natural sources such as the sun, rain and water of the Maas that provide the building of energy and heat and regulates the temperature.

Flows of production; The leftovers of the restaurant can be recycled in the lab of Trashure Island and recreated to new products. The time and effort that will be invested in the building will make it possible to produce knowledge for the workers and visitors. This information and knowledge can be passed on to other people and so on.

The restaurant provides waist, urine (from which valuable phosphor can be harvested) and thermic for the lab. The poppodium provides energy and CO2. The dance floor of the Poppodium provides electricity that we use for production in the lab.

The lab provides the restaurant and poppodium of visitors, oxygen, food, drinks and energy.

Trashure Island generates food, drinks, compost, biogas (for cars) and knowledge for the people. Money is generated when visitors who pay an entrance fee and when what is produced is sold to small businesses and individuals.


Case study, Trashure beer

How can this ecosystem create value for the society? By addressing bad habits from individuals we can reduce waste (tangible and intangible) and increase knowledge and awareness. By surpassing dominant organizations in the industrial process and focusing on local and sustainable production. By Creating a win-win-win-win situation: cheaper, local and sustainable production in a circular economy. For people to take responsibility of their whole company or household. By creating a knowledge center for experimentation and education. By giving people the tools to take responsibility and reduce their waste themselves.

What’s the problem

The problem is waste. We use our resources and throw away products that can be used again. There are all kinds of wastes.

  • Products;
  • Time;
  • Talent;
  • Rest-energy;
  • Location.

Who are we going to help

Lots of people have a waste problem. This ecosystem will be for:

  • Citizens who want to have a more sustainable lifestyle and save money in the process;
  • Local citizens who are unemployed or have a low income;
  • The society;
  • The youth;
  • Companies.

How can we help them

Tropicana will serve as a platform of regeneration.

This will be done through:

  • Social events. Like tours of workshops;
  • Creating Jobs;
  • An open source knowledge center. Everything that’s produced here e.g. products and knowledge will be open to everyone.

The unemployed and the “less fortunate”: We will make local citizens aware of their waste problem. For example, when they are financially short at the end of the month we will give them Re- and upcycle tools to help them save money. The way they view their trash has to be turned around in seeing it as a resource. By giving them jobs throughout the whole circular production process, the time they create waste at home: in both talent, energy and in terms of resources, will be reduced.

A Possible idea: a form of ‘deposit fees’. Show them the value of their waste. To turn this into action they need proof that it really saves money. Show them a fun, easy and accessible way to do this.

Within the ecosystem there is room for initiatives by anyone who sees them.

Companies

The local companies pay to get rid of their waste. This ecosystem would like to take those waste products for free. This is an advantage for both parties. Besides that, the involvement in sustainable and blue economy activities might be good for the brand and image of these companies.

Entrepreneurs can start a business here when they have an idea that fits within the ecosystem.

Because of the advantages there could be support from the municipality. Local can get incentives to support this ecosystem, for example through tax incentives.

Knowledge and Education

A lot of things are still unknown within the bleu economy. There is a lot of room to grow. There will be room for scientists to come up and test new ideas.

The knowledge that is produced within this ecosystem will be exchanged with the outside world. Children are the future. This is why it’s so important that they will be educated about the circular and blue production process.

Knowledge will be shared through workshops and by creating a podium for discussions and debates.

Tourism

This new way of production could also attract a new kind of tourists. This eco-tourism will consists of people who love to see the idea of bleu economy in reality. In the long-term this could turn into the demand for (eco)hotels, food and souvenirs.

Business case

Everythin will come together in our business case: Tourists and companies bring income as money and get information and knowledge in return. Unemployed people give time and get knowledge in return. Schools can come so the youth can be educated. Products produced in Tropicana can be sold. A circular economy will be created within Tropicana and with its surroundings.

The participating students cam from: Bouwkunde minor dIB, Minor social practices WdKA and Cultural Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam.

This masterclass was hosted and guided by Rotterzwam, organised by Floris Schiferli (Superuse Studios Rotterdam) and located in Tropicana, Maasboulevard 100, Rotterdam.

With special thanks to: Mark Slegers & all co-workers of Rotterzwam (host and inspirator), Rechtstreex (for the lovely local lunch), Norbert Bol (Director of Grondmij capital invest), Mark Bode (Business Station WDKA), Hans Huurman (gemeente Rotterdam), Dave Geensen, (poppodium Rotterdam).