Stockholm Recycles

Well, this blog actually marks the halfway point of my GROW experience. Everyone said that time would really fly by, but as I write this blog, I still can't believe how fast it actually has. I've almost completed my environmental project and am excited to see what else Bonnierförlagen has in store for me.

Last week, I met with Bonnierförlagen's CEO, Jacob Dalborg. We talked about Bonnier's corporate structure and just how all of this came to be. I learned a lot and was genuinely excited to be at ground zero. I also met with Elisabeth Palombo who is in charge of the GROW program. I was able to get a tour of Bonnier's new headquarters just a few blocks from my office. The facilities were absolutely gorgeous and I could really feel just how much creativity and hard work goes into all of Bonnier's endeavors.

After reading Päivi's blog, I figured I would also add to her comments about "going green". Here in Stockholm, there are no disposable products being used (except paper towels). There are shelves of mugs and plates, as well as a drawer with utensils. Every kitchen also has a dishwasher to clean everything that has been used at the end of the night. I'm not sure how this would go over in the States, but here, everyone works together to make sure that there are always clean mugs and utensils. I honestly think that this is a great idea. When I think about how many paper cups are used in a week back at home - it's shocking.  I can blame myself for a lot of that usage. I sometimes use about three paper cups a day and at least one or two paper plates. I'm not saying that we need a dishwasher, but if everyone made a conscious effort to bring their own dishes and then just wash them after use, it would make a huge difference.

I've also got into the habit of recycling, which I have not done in ages. Here, you can either recycle outside or you can go into the market and place your recycling into a machine that then dispenses a coupon to use at the store. I have yet to do this, but I have a huge bag full of recycling sitting in my kitchen. It really shows how many recyclables I actually use. It's a shame that we do not have a better system in the U.S. I actually had to ask a friend if they even take recycling in Orlando. Apparently they do, but I know nothing about it. That is definitely something I will look into when I return.

This whole experience has been very eye-opening and I can't wait to share everything I have learned here in Stockholm with my colleagues back home!

P.S. I have done some travelling in the past few weeks (Helsinki, Finland and Amsterdam). Here are some pictures. Enjoy!