R:ecovillage – An Ecovillage in Röstånga

According to the European Network for Rural Development, "After years of people moving away and local services closing down in Röstånga, the municipality had just 839 inhabitants in 2010. Many elderly people wanted to sell their houses and move to smaller households within the community and only a few locals thought construction of new houses was necessary. Röstånga also needed more residents so that the school and local services could function. The ecovillage was designed to minimise its ecological footprint. Sustainable sources for energy and heat are used. Food production is integrated with the new housing. Food waste is used for heating and the by-product is reapplied to the soil, so the nutrients are cycled back into the ecosystem. A greenhouse was built with an aquaponics system so that vegetables and mushrooms are produced in conjunction with fish."