Hello dear Hivers and friends!
This is my first post in the Weekend Experiences Community after a long absence of about 9 months after a devastating life ordeal. Now, this post about waste disposal might not be of great interest to others but I feel I need to share this here about the importance of ecology in our world. It was a learning experience for me to have participated in this ecology festival and I am glad I joined in.
Deponie Rautenweg Fest ...Sunday - June 4, 2023
"I wanted to see the goats!"
The many goats at the city landfill Rautenweg have been my interest since I used to see them while driving along the road parallel to the fenced area "mowing" the grass of the landfill. And when I got a flier invitation (below) about the festival last Sunday - June 4, I was excited to go, it was a tour on ecology and I am really glad I came because I learned a lot from it. The festival was sponsored by MA48, the Waste Management Department of the city. They explained how the residual waste of the whole city is being processed step by step.
The first and foremost reason why I went is because of the goats, I wanted to see how they live in the area. Sometime in the 90's, the first goats from Pinzgau, a district in Salzburg, came which had been composed of a mother-goat with 2 kids and a daughter. It was kind of an experiment on how well they would live there. It was a success because over the years, more than 100 kids were born and later deployed back to their natural habitat in the Alps region.
I am not a climate activist, but it is basic for me to understand the environmental issues because they affect our health physically and mentally. We only need to look at the wastes thrown, for example, in the ocean which greatly affects all animals living in the water. And we humans are affected too because we need them for food.
The Landfill Trail
We got a ticket according to the time slot I had..we were a group of about 13 plus the 2 guides and went up by foot climbing the never ending stairs which I called the "thousand steps". For me at my age, it was a "torture" (lol!) but it was fun! I survived though and my prize had been getting to the goat enclosure where I made grass feeding to a couple of young goats.
I learned from our guide that the gathered residual waste is taken into incineration plants for burning which produces heat and electricity used to heat schools and supply them with energy. The metals included in the ashes are taken out and are being recycled, then the rest is mixed with cement, water and sand. The ash slag is taken in the landfill and with heavy rollers, they are flattened then soil is added on its top layer so that plants and animals could settle in the area.
According to MA48, the landfill´s huge grounds are sealed with dense walls built all over so that this would prevent the water from getting into the environment. The water under the landfill is being pumped out and sent to the treatment plant for cleaning which then flows into the Danube Canal. It was a new experience for me as all taxpayers , individuals and companies in the city pay a lot of fees for waste disposal.
I was relieved (lol!) that the tour ended after 45 minutes because it was very humid at lunchtime. Then we started to descend to the stall and goats enclosure. We passed by these granite rocks and we were told that these came from the Reichsbrücke in Vienna that collapsed in 1976. Some of these were used as support for the slopes of the landfill
The Goats Enclosure
There were not many goats, just about 6 of them. Normally in some days they could be more than 30 roaming around a certain area, perhaps they put the rest somewhere else during the festival. I tried feeding them but only the younger goats came and the older one which seemed to the big boss was so "hard headed" and didn´t move a bit...just stared at me like a stone while I whispered to him about the grass...he was like saying to me "what do you want from me?!...I am full!"
Just before I went down, a guide or area watcher who was very friendly and funny obliged to pose with me as my remembrance of this event.
Back to the festivities...
I must say, they have really made a good organization of all festivities.. There was entertainment, live band, food and drinks and games for the kids, a flea market (where I bought 3 cooking books). And all the visitors with their families were happy.
LET-Z 37 Celak , assembly tool to practice the know-how of young Car Auto Mechanic Apprentice. The newbies of MA48 have to put back the dismantled machine parts to prove what they can.
Below, some sweets for the young and the oldies.
I got these cooking books at a fraction of a cost, the proceeds of which will go to the animal shelter nearby.
All in all, for me, the tour was successful despite the "thousand stairs" and the high humidity and I have learned the importance of the processing of waste and its effect on the environment. I have to give a thumbs up for these people for doing a good job, really!
Location: Deponie Rautenweg 83
1220 Vienna, Austria
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