It didn’t take me very long after my arrival in Spain to see some of the country’s unique environmental sustainability practices. In fact, it was when I got to my host home and asked the simple question of “where is the trashcan?” did I learn that conservation and waste management in Spain differs greatly from Pittsburgh and the United States as a whole. The answer to my question wasn’t a matter of telling me or pointing me to where the trash was. In fact, my inquiry was followed up with “well, what kind of trash do you have?” (in Spanish of course). That was my first experience with Spain’s system of differentiating types of waste, a method in place to lower environmental impact and recover materials easier. To give you an idea, they separate organic waste (ex. left over food items or napkins), inorganic waste (ex. textile waste), packaging (ex. plastic and metal bottles), paper (ex. envelopes and cardboard), glass (ex. jars or bottles), and special waste (ex. batteries or oil).

Another noticeable difference has been the use of plastic and disposable utensils. I have yet to see a straw in Spain that isn’t made of paper or another combination of materials other than plastic. In Pittsburgh, I’ve noticed certain coffee shops or other stores will have paper straws or no straws at all, but that is not something I see across the board. Disposable plastic utensils are difficult to come by here as well. I have used a plastic fork once during my 3 weeks here so far. A somewhat related observation is also the lack of “takeout” from restaurants. I rarely see diners packing up their food in a plastic or foam container to take home. This may both be an environmental difference as well as a cultural difference between Spain and the United States. We tend to be “on the go” all of the time in Pittsburgh, especially as students. Rushing to and from meetings, classes, events, and other responsibilities. Here in Spain, life seems to be taken much slower, with meals being a very important social and cultural endeavor for those living here. Thus, it would make sense why disposable plastic or foam containers/utensils have been a hard find here since they generally aren’t used as often.

I have no doubt that there are an abundance of other differences in sustainability between Spain and the United States (such as transportation methods). Though for this post, I wanted to acknowledge Spain’s care for their resources and their usage. In my Spanish host home, use of electricity is not as omnipresent as it is in the United States: residents here are diligent to turn lights or fans off. In fact most buildings don’t have AC, or at least don’t use it to the extent that we do as the US. This can be difficult to acclimate to, especially since it has been up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit here. But as difficult as it may be to bear, Spaniards take advantage of the heat by air drying clothes outdoors, effectively saving energy by not using a dryer. Resources in Spain are managed in a very innovative and sustainable manner. I had the opportunity to see a large-scale example of this during a day trip to Segovia. This city is known for its aqueduct system, built around the first century AD by the Romans. This innovation transported water from the mountain springs to the city for citizens to utilize. The system was used up until 1973 and was absolutely breathtaking to see. Although it has become a historic site for visitors to marvel at and take photos of, it truly reflects how innovate resource management, and sustainability overall, has been ingrained in the practices of Spain.

All in all, it has been eye-opening to see the big and the small aspects of sustainability that differentiate the United States from the country of Spain. I have always been passionate about the topic of climate change, though I can surely say I will be bringing back even more care for the earth and its resources following this fascinating abroad experience.