Barcelona, like any other city, requires the input of immense quantities of materials from a huge range of geographical sources in order to function: food (beef from Argentina, apples from Holland, coffee from Columbia, kiwis from New Zealand, etc.), water (from the Ter and Llobregat rivers), building materials from the quarries of El Garraf and brickworks in El Baix Llobregat, etc.), raw materials for industry (aluminium from Canada, rubber from Thailand, iron ore from Ukraine, etc.) and fuel (natural gas from Algeria, petroleum from Venezuela, etc.). The city constantly requires the input of this material for its constant toil. All of these materials are used directly or indirectly by human beings to eat, travel, power machinery, transform materials and construct buildings.
Boqueria market: fruit stall with produce
from all around the world
A huge range of waste is generated in the use of materials: solids, liquids and gases. The different types of solid waste from the city are handled in a number of treatment plants (refuse selection plants, compost plants, methane
production plants, energy re-use plants, etc.). The resulting waste from
this treatment is stored in controlled deposits. The majority of liquid waste (urban or industrial waste water, special liquid waste, etc.) is treated in public water treatment centres or in treatment plants owned by industry. Gaseous waste (basically from vehicle combustion, industrial boilers, household kitchens and heating) is released into the atmosphere and dispersed by wind.
Heavy traffic in Via Laietana
Urban solid waste is managed and treated
in different ways but, sooner or later,
much is dumped in rubbish tips
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