Today was our first full day in Rotterdam, and it was packed with sustainability visits. Our first stop, after taking public transportation, was the floating farm. Here, we attended a lecture about their upbringing as well as their goals and ideas for the farm. There are currently 30 cows on the floating farm, but it can hold up to 40, while their dairy machines can take up to 60 cows’ milk products. The cows eat a lot of the most wasted foods that the farm collects from local facilities. These foods are stale bread from a local bakery and orange peels and rinds from juice stands at the local markets. The farm also uses the cows to create dairy products that they then sell for a profit. The company does not get an incentive from the government, so they have to make money in other ways. They also grow their own microgreens that can have up to 2 times more nutrients than normal vegetables. This means that you can eat more and gain more nutrients.

We also took a tour of RDM, a repurposed ship port now turned into a campus and small business warehouse. Our tour guide’s family has worked at the shipyard for over 4 generations from 1902 when the shipyard was created. They live at an abandoned church that has since been turned into living corridors for those who work at the shipyard. During Covid-19, the warehouse worked with small businesses to help keep them afloat, and the warehouse is a place for many technological developments. For example, one company created a way to 3D print metal parts for shipping containers. Another company created a robot to dig underwater tunnels for the electrical wires for windmills.

For the cultural aspect, we explored Rotterdam’s city center, walking through the city and taking in the sights. Many of the buildings look similar to those in Pittsburgh, which we thought was interesting. It seems very different from Amsterdam in the architectural aspect. Amsterdam was full of old buildings with different colors and brick types. Rotterdam’s center, on the other hand, is full of modern, more neutral-colored buildings that reminded the group of Pittsburgh.