WINPOL

The WINPOL project – Waste Management Intelligent Systems and Policies – aimed to improve regional and local waste management processes by promoting intelligent equipment and innovative planning derived from it in order to minimise waste generation and increase the efficiency of waste management processes.

Project funded under the European Regional Development Fund. 2018 - 2022

Highlights

The WINPOL final conference tackled the role of innovation in waste management, especially to successfully transition to a circular economy in Europe. It was the occasion to discuss not only the successes achieved at project level, now that the project is closing, but also the progresses made in the use of intelligent systems and policies in waste management. It included two main sessions combining project partners telling their experience and invited speakers – from Amsterdam, Bergen, Catalonia, and the Life REthinkWASTE project – presenting their innovative practices.

THE PROJECT

THE PROJECT

The WINPOL project aimed at improving policies for waste management so that they increasingly foster and promote the use of intelligent equipment and planning derived of it, significantly contributing to waste minimisation in European cities and regions, through improved management procedures and awareness campaigns.

Intelligent equipment and systems for waste disposal, collection and management bring about the opportunity to improve policies because the detailed information produced makes it possible to develop individual and accurate taxation policies in line with the “who pollutes pays” principles. They also lead to improved resource efficiency in the collection routes, to highly targeted campaigns that address critical groups of waste producers who have been identified thanks to data collected and, in general, to better strategic waste management planning at urban level as well as to cost optimisation in the mid-term, even if initial investments have to be faced.

However, the degree of introduction of innovative equipment varies significantly from one environment to another. The WINPOL partnership gathered together cities and regions with proven experience in intelligent equipment and related waste management policies, and cities and regions planning to introduce them in the mid-term.

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

As advisory partner ACR+ was in charge of providing expertise to the partnership in the different stages, helping to consolidate the knowledge base of the project. A Capacity-Building event was organised by ACR+ to present tools already existing and developed by other projects (Pre-waste, Miniwaste, R4R, among others) and train partner cities representatives in using them.

In addition, ACR+ provided an inventory of good practices, capitalising on the experiences from its members throughout Europe, the various projects ACR+ is involved in and other sources. It also took experts in the different topics to the thematic seminars. Last but not least, ACR+ coordinated the communications activities of the project, aiming at ensuring consistent and efficient communication, ensuring the visibility of project and programme.

PARTNERS INVOLVED

PARTNERS INVOLVED

WINPOL's project coordinator was EMULSA* (the Municipal Company of Urban Environment Services of Gijón, ES) and the other partners involved were:

City of Antwerp (BE)
ERA, Environment and Resources Authority (MT)
Region of Crete (GR)
Municipality of Heraklion (GR)
SNAGA, company for waste management and other utility services (SI)
Drobeta Turnu Severin City Hall (RO)
Mehedinti County Council (RO)

ACR+ is acting as advisory partner on the project and will be providing expertise to the partnership, as well as coordinating the communication activities of the project.

*ACR+ member