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The city of Copenhagen in Denmark has created a waste management power plant with an artificial ski slope on top.

The city of Copenhagen in Denmark has become a shining star when it comes to waste management. It’s hard to believe that a modern city of this size uses no landfills anymore.

How is this possible?

Well, they took the approach of looking at waste as a valuable resource and not just something that ends up somewhere far away from homes and businesses.

The first innovation the city introduced is a small high-tech sensor in each trash can. The sensor monitors how full each bin is, and waste collection trucks only focus on those that are almost full.

According to Freethink, this has saved the city about 50% of waste collection costs, and there are far fewer trucks on the road to collect all the trash. 

But how does all this relate to a ski slope?

The answer is that all the non-recyclable waste goes to a power plant, which burns it to turn it into electricity.

It’s the world’s most advanced and safest power plant, which has allowed the operators to turn the roof into a recreational park. There are several miles of trails, a climbing wall, and, yes, a year-round artificial ski slope. 

So, if you ever visit the city, then make sure you check out Copenhagen’s ski slopes and marvel at the fantastic innovation.

Watch the full video from Freethink below.


Chris is one of GreenCitizen’s writers who has been a long-time advocate of individual responsibility when it comes to the environment. He shares GreenCitizen's passion for making the world a better place every day of the year.

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