Onegav

Apologies, but I guess this is more of a blog post than a photography learning, 365 thing!

Zero editing in any of today’s photographs, I am as I say just relaying a blog style catalogue of the day, with pictures.

It doesn’t, to be fair do it justice, because today I have seen some amazing things. However, it’s been a very long day, and as I write this I am climbing into my bed….

My day started at 6am, which is ok, I like getting up early, but I was tired after the traveling yesterday.

I was early for my taxi, so I went for a little walk, and directly across the street I find this amazing building!

Onto the planned day, and after three presentations at HQ (I’m on a business integration programme in Zaragoza, Spain) we head off into a local recycling plant, part of the core business.

I can’t show you too much, when I asked if I could take pictures the answer was “yes, but make them wide views, no detail or technology”. Ok, that makes sense.

Below, what looks like a pile of waste is actually valuable product, that has been collected as rubbish, processed and is bound for the construction industry to become a % if concrete. That sounds very un-glamorous, but honestly, it’s really cool, because that’s a massive pile of waste that is not going to end up in the ocean!

After that, we head off a half hour journey to see the next process, a huge paper mill, that also uses some waste to transform it into paper, and the rest into energy. A huge part of the business I work for is about recycling, and protecting the environment.

I am proud to say I am a part of that.

I have tired to capture the scale of the plant, but at 6 miles (ish) from end to end, that’s not easy to do!

Essentially this is a paper mill (three milling machines) that uses 100% recycled material. Plus, anything it can’t turn into paper or board, it burns at super high temps to change it into electricity. The high temps prevent nasty gases being emitted.

Although it’s like a huge industrial city, the whole thing is actually very environmentally friendly.

One guy sits at the control desk, that must be a pretty heavy duty task.

Hopefully, these shots give you some idea of the scale of a paper machine, it is enormous, and this site has three. Each with its own treatment plant, sorting plant, waste to energy plant and a train network to transport goods away.

This panoramic view didn’t quite work out, but hopefully you get some idea of scale!

That roll of paper weighs about 65t….

That huge building, is a boiler, converting what can’t be made into paper onto energy for the national grid.

On the way back front the plant, something really unusual caught my eye, every lamp post had a birds nest on it!

I have more shots I’ll share at some point.

We finished the day with a Paella making event, at a local cookery school, the TOPI.

It was amazing, and I’ll let the photos do the taking…..

Guess who won the competition for best Paella!!!

Learnings – I’ve learnt so much today I can’t begin to describe it all. Most of all, I’ve learnt more about how amazing some people are at caring for our planet through innovative business.

Not photography I know, but close to my heart none the less, and I am super proud to be part of it.