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57 GREEN REYKJAVÍK HEALTH BENEFITS Thermal water has boundless health benefits. Sore joints, swollen muscles and s ff limbs are soothed in warm thermal pools. Every community in Iceland has easy access to warm geothermal swimming pools and many households, co ages and hotels have installed their own hot tubs. Eighteen thermal swimming pools and numerous luxurious spas in the Reykjavík capital area are open throughout the year. Addi onally, the now world famous Blue Lagoon has taken the unique healing proper es of the water and certain minerals to a whole new level. It's a memorable place where stunning nature nourishes the mind while algae and minerals in the water benefit your skin. ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICALLY GROWN VEGETABLES & FRUITS Many of the vegetables and fruits consumed by Icelanders are grown in geothermal heated greenhouses and illuminated by hydroelectricity. The temperate climate in Iceland makes it extremely suitable for greenhouse hor culture. The abundant and pris ne clean groundwater further adds to the quality of the product. Dependent on ar ficial light during the dark winter months, Icelandic farmers take pride in their environmentally friendly growing methods. Bees are imported to fer lize the plants, as are insects that help to limit the number of parasites that might risk causing damage. It's no wonder Icelandic vegetables are so rich in flavour and colour. MOST ECO-FRIENDLY CONFERENCE CENTRE IN THE WORLD? Since opening its doors in May 2011, the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre is believed to be the most eco-friendly conference centre in the world. The building was designed to use mostly natural light through its glass façade, which covers three of the four sides of the building and results in significant reduc on in power consump on. All organisa ons that were chosen to operate within Harpa have sustainability as one of their main goals. Both restaurants and catering services use mainly local produce when preparing their dishes. They also follow strict recycling standards and use environmentally friendly cleaning materials. MANDATORY RECYCLING OF PAPER Reykjavík city Council is running a campaign as of October 1st 2012 with the mo o "Paper is not Trash". Residents of Reykjavík are encouraged to sort their waste and place paper in a separate bin from general household waste. The paper is sent to Sweden for recycling. There is no increase in shipping as Iceland imports more from Sweden than it exports and container vessels would be sailing with empty containers back to Sweden if not for the paper sent for recycling. FUTURE VISION Modern living requires the extensive use of energy sources. All energy use influences the environment in some way. Geothermal energy is not only economical but also ecologically friendly in the sense that it is renewable and can be u lized with minimal damage to the local surroundings. Hydroelectric energy in Iceland is also sustainable and provides over 70% of the energy consumed na onwide. The Icelandic government has stated an objec ve of making Iceland the first na on to use only renewable energy for its power in the near future according to the Icelandic Na onal Strategy for sustainable development.