Content
Miniwaste
Miniwaste was a three-year European project which aimed at demonstrating that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of bio-waste at local level.
The project was co-funded by the Life+ programme of the European Commission, 2010-2013.
THE PROJECT
Miniwaste aimed to demonstrate, in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC, that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of organic waste (food and green waste) at the source in a mastered and sustainable way, and to monitor actions for waste reduction in an efficient and helpful manner.
The project implied gathering and sharing of good practices and case studies implemented by European local and regional authorities to reduce bio-waste (in particular through composting methods), implementing demonstration actions at different scales in France, Portugal and the Czech Republic, in order to reduce bio-waste in these areas, as well as developing and implementing monitoring procedures through a computerised tool to assess the quality and the quantity of the compost produced.
The project aimed to emphasize the efficiency and sustainability of awareness actions by offering a better way of controling waste prevention using computerized tools and analysis software to understand people’s behaviours, simulate and interpret different scenarios, to analyse costs in detail and to define more accurately the real gains in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
ACTIVITIES
ACR+ had the responsibility of providing an inventory of good practices related to bio-waste prevention inside and outside the partnership. On this basis, the partners implemented demonstration actions to concretely reduce bio-waste in their area. The inventory report includes 10 fact sheets covering the following issues:
- Home composting - Italy (Piemonte)
- Home composting - UK (Kent)
- Home composting - Portugal (LIPOR)
- Home composting - France (Chambery)
- Community composting - Flanders
- Community composting - Switzerland (Zürich)
- Farm proximity composting - Austria (Freistadt)
- Fight against food waste - UK (WRAP)
- Closed Loop gardening - Flanders
- Reuse centers - Flanders
ACR+ was also in charge of information dissemination through a project newsletter, articles and regular mailing to partner’s contact and acted as webmaster for the Miniwaste website, in collaboration with the project leader. This website provided news and up-to-date information about the project and the partners, about which anyone interested can leave a comment: it is a collaborative process where every stakeholder can have his word.
PARTNERS INVOLVED
Miniwaste's project project partners were:
- ACR+
- City of Brno (CZ)
- Lipor*
- Irstea
- Rennes Métropole*
* ACR+ member
PROJECT RESULTS
Implementation of demonstrative projects in Rennes Metropole, Porto region and Brno
Rennes Metropole, Lipor and Brno have developed comprehensive strategies to reduce bio-waste at source on their territories. These strategies cover in particular the distribution of individual composter bins to citizens, the promotion and support of collective composting sites (in household buildings, schools, etc.), and the development and running of composting demonstration sites.
They also implemented a series of promotion and training activities for composting at home (individual and collective housing) and on-site (schools, cafeterias and restaurants, catering services, etc.). The three cities/region also supported networks of composting guides and assistants, who will be able to promote composting and train citizens on how to compost.
Other activities at pilot (test) or large scale included in particular indoor composting with witness households weighing their bio-waste and fight against food waste in restaurants and schools.
Development and implementation of waste prevention process and monitoring computerized tool
In order to provide cities and regions with good practices related to (bio)waste reduction, ACR+ carried out a compilation of ten good practices extensively described in terms of process, success factors and challenges.
In parallel, Irstea developed three kinds of monitoring procedures (protocols) on the basis of research performed in the field and in the lab: assessment of the effect of composting on waste quantity, assessment of composters used for community composting and assessment of compost quality. Regarding the assessment of the effect of composting on waste quantity, the assessment tools are surveys, waste characterization (using the French MODECOM procedure), waste weighing by households and (electronic) green waste quantification. The assessment of composters used for collective composting depends on several factors, such as the type of bio-waste (green or kitchen waste), the frequency of deposits, etc. Regarding the assessment of compost quality, the methods are sensorial analysis (survey filled in by composters) and physic-chemical analysis (in lab).
On the basis of the inventory of good practices and the protocols, a web tool was developed and tested in 2012 in order to help cities and regions to assess and monitor the efficiency of bio-waste prevention strategies implemented on their territory. Rennes Metropole was in charge of developing this web tool, which is structured in 3 modules:
- Decision-making module (before any action or strategy is implemented), helping to make a territorial diagnosis and consult appropriate preventive actions;
- Actions monitoring module, helping to implement and follow-up bio-waste prevention actions;
- Result consultation module, presenting the results of the actions under the format of general or specific graphs and charts.
Communication and dissemination activities on Miniwaste
A set of communication tools was elaborated (Miniwaste website, leaflet, newsletter, etc.) in order to support dissemination of Miniwaste findings and results.
The various partners have developed various communication tools (poster campaign, flyers, video interviews, local websites etc.) and awareness-raising actions (conferences, demonstrations during local events, etc.) that have proven to be quite successful. This awareness-raising material has been distributed to citizens when delivering compost bins and during the local events. Other activities included emailing, video, Facebook, etc.
In order to disseminate the Miniwaste results at European scale, ACR+ has acted as communication manager, in particular regarding general communication and dissemination activities, like updating the Miniwaste website, drafting and issuing the newsletter and presenting the project at several events like the Green Week.
EVENTS
Miniwaste Final Conference in Rennes (FR), 20-21/11/2012
The Miniwaste final conference took place during the European Week for Waste Reduction. This one-and-a-half-day event held in French and English exhibited the results of the project and highlight efficient bio-waste prevention tools and strategies for cities and regions.
Plenary sessions gave bio-waste experts, public authorities and the European Commission the opportunity to get an overview of the Miniwaste partners’ bio-waste minimisation initatives and allowed them to discuss various bio-waste management strategies, from waste prevention solutions to centralised bio-waste management.
Workshops in French and English offered smaller groups in-depth training in four topics related to bio-waste prevention: composting, kitchen waste, garden waste, and using the protocols and monitoring tools developed as part of the Miniwaste project.
During the conference, participants also had the opportunity to test the computerised monitoring tool for bio-waste prevention activities.
The press release of the final conference is available here.
Brno Conference on bio-waste prevention, 13/09/2011
Taking place at the mid-term of the Miniwaste project, this event gave the opportunity to share experience on bio-waste prevention achievements in Europe, and especially in Brno, Rennes and Porto region. Experiments in different contexts were presented and analyzed for use by other initiatives or for advice. In particular, the Miniwaste partners shared their expertise on problems encountered, solutions and benefits that have been learned regarding the development of composting sites, training sessions for citizens and assistance to composting masters, etc.
Moreover, the event was the occasion to present the functionalities of the web tool aimed at helping local and regional authorities to implement bio-waste prevention actions, to be released at the end of the project.
The conference gave also the opportunity to share ideas and expertise on bio-waste prevention with other actors and projects in Europe. In particular, experts presented activities implemented in the framework of Pre-waste, Green Cook and the European Week for Waste Reduction.
The audience was in particular local and regional authorities, but other actors involved in the field of waste reduction were present as well.
This conference was organised by the City of Brno with the support of ACR+ and was held in Brno in Czech and English.
TOOLBOX
General documents
- Miniwaste Guidance document
- Inventory of good practices on bio-waste prevention
- Numerical assessment of project results
Protocols
Pre-waste
Pre-waste was a three-year European project with the aim to help local and regional authorities improve their waste prevention policies, in order to significantly reduce the production of waste and its hazards.
The project was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme, 2010-2012.
THE PROJECT
The Pre-waste project was designed to improve the effectiveness of waste prevention policies in EU territories in order to significantly reduce waste production and hazardousness, through the close collaboration of local and regional authorities, public entities and other stakeholders.
In particular, the project aimed to:
- define guidelines to plan, implement and monitor regional waste prevention policies;
- select 20 of the best waste prevention practices implemented in the European Union by local and regional authorities;
- create a web tool to asses and monitor the efficiency of the waste prevention actions implemented.
ACTIVITIES
All partners were idrectly involved in the different stages of the project that included numerous activities such as: dissemination of press releases, organisation of a national event and a European conference on waste prevention, creation of a website, dissemination of the newsletter, identification of best practices (at least 20) and the relevant monitoring indicators, preparation of a feasibility study by each partner for the transfer of one or several good practices identifies in its territory.
All this helped to define a shared methodology to support the local administration authorities to plan and implement an efficient waste prevention policy by using the proposed web tool to monitor waste prevention policies according to the indicators selected and identified by the partners under the project.
ACR+ played a key role in the project, as an expert for the development of the common methodology, the web tool and the identification of waste prevention best practices. ACR+ also acted as a communication manager for the project and is in charge of disseminating its results throughout its European network.
PARTNERS INVOLVED
Pre-waste's project leader was Marche Region (Italy), with the support of SVIM - Sviluppo Marche S.p.a, the Regional Development Agency. Its project partners were:
- ACR+
- IBGE - Brussels Environment*
- Karlskrona Municipality
- ORDIF*, Ile de France Region Waste Management Observatory
- Public Cooperation Department of Ilfov County
- Roquetas de Mar Municipality
- Sofia Municipality*
- Tampere Regional Solid Waste Management Ltd
- WasteServ Malta Ltd
* ACR+ member
PROJECT RESULTS
Since the beginning of the project, Pre-waste partners gathered and analysed more than 100 case studies related to waste prevention. Travelling books, “stop pub” stickers, campaigns and coaching to prevent waste, home and collective composting, refilling machines for water or detergents, and clothes library are some of the practices collected from 18 EU countries that cover all waste fractions. From the 105 cases, 56 Good Practices were selected, about which the partners gathered more data. Finally, Partners selected more than 20 practices as the best examples of waste prevention across EU. In 2012, Partners have developed feasibility studies in order to assess the transferability of one practice in its territory.
The Pre-waste final conference took place in Brussels on 7 November 2012 and gave the opportunity to present the project's outputs to more than 200 European experts.
More information: https://goo.gl/XLQKJ2
MED-3R
The MED-3R project – MED-3R Euro-Mediterranean Strategic Platform for a Suitable Waste Management – was a strategic project of the ENPI CBC MED Programme included in the topic "Waste treatment and recycling"
This project was co-funded by the European Union, 2012-2015.
THE PROJECT
This project aimed to contribute to the reduction of waste in the Mediterranean using the triple concept 3R "Reemploy to extend the products lifespan, Reduce the production of waste, Recycle waste".
MED-3R set up an institutional innovation of multi-level governance, implemented on the basis of a strategic platform: "The Euro-Mediterranean Strategic Platform for a Suitable Waste Management" to the benefit of technical managers and experts on waste management over the Mediterranean basin.
The stake was to reinforce the cross-border cooperation based on the involvement of public authorities, social and economical actors and local populations, and to promote the developement and operation of efficient waste management systems in a virtuous circle adapted to local contexts. This comes through the transfer of technical and technological know-how capacity building, the reinforcing of the expertise and the introduction of personalized guidance measures for the project’s teams.
The project MED-3R suggested innovation in approaches and services in order to meet with the specific needs of the beneficiary territories experiencing great difficulties in defining or implementing efficient and sustainable waste management plans. The developement of management plans will be innovative and adapted as it results from a unique initiative between complementary stakeholders of the territory, through the MED-3R strategic plateform.
Thus, the platform promoted a new governance by an organized linking between the engineers and the elected officials in charge of waste in the Mediterranean, supported by experts from the cities networks.
New services, new management methods and more efficient tools were provided to the cities. The platform MED-3R became an operational reference tool to apply and adapt waste management innovations in the Mediterranean.
PARTNERS INVOLVED
MED-3R's lead partner was the Metropolis of Nice Cote d’Azur and its project partners were:
- Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)
- Municipality of Blat
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice Cote d'Azur
- Ea eco-enterprises
- Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water Sector (EMWIS)
- Municipality of Genoa
- Municipality of Hyeres-les-Palmiers
- International Office for Water (OlEau)
- Municipality of Jbeil-Byblos
- National Agency for Waste Management (ANGed)
- Preparatory School for Engineer Studies of Sfax (IPEIES)
- Municipality of Sousse*
- Municipality of Sfax
- University of Genoa, Department of Civil Engineering, Chemistry and Environment
* ACR+ member
ASSOCIATED PARTNERS
- Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management (ACR+)
- General Council of the Alpes Maritimes
- MEDCITIES
- Ministry of Environment in Lebanon
- Prefecture of the Alpes Maritimes
- Regional Council in the Provence-Alpes Cote d'Azur
- SWEEP-Net/Giz
PROJECT RESULTS
- Home generated medical waste in Nice (France)
- Waste of electrical and electronic equipment in Nice (France)
- Islands waste in Hyres-les-Palmiers (France)
- Plastic waste in Aqaba (Jordan), in Genoa (Italy) and in Nice (France)
- Organic waste in Sfax (Tunisia)
- Selective sorting in byblos, Blat (Lebanon) and Nice (France)
- Catering waste in Nice (France) and in Genoa (Italy)
- Hazardous waste in Nice (France)
More information: http://www.med-3r.org/index.php/en/
R4R
Regions for Recycling (R4R) aimed to enable its partners to improve their recycling performance through consistent comparisons and an exchange of good practices
The project was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme, 2012-2014.
THE PROJECT
The R4R project brought together 13 partners wishing to share and discuss their experience about municipal waste recycling. European local and regional territories share the same framework and objectives, yet they have designed different waste management systems leading to different performances, which makes comparisons very useful.
However, this diversity of approach has led to heterogeneous monitoring systems, making most comparisons inconsistent. Waste management systems are also dependent on local and regional specificities as well as national framework. With these elements in mind, the R4R project aimed at identifying the most efficient local and regional instruments allowing to optimize municipal waste recycling. It also aimed at developing an online tool that will help cities and regions to compare their recycling performances following a common methodology.
Watch the video presentation of the R4R project
ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS
The project partners engaged in the following activities:
- comparing recycling performances through a common methodology and common indicators;
- identifying and transfering 40 good recycling practices;
- developing an Online Tool to support the recycling efforts of interested municipalities;
- disseminating the project content and results beyond the Project Partners.
To integrate the lessons learnt from the project (be it a good practice or the R4R methodology), each partner developed and followed an implementation plan. At the end of the project, the 13 partners improved their waste management monitoring knowledge and capacity, and are familiar with a wide array of good practices.
They also have a more thorough understanding of the economic, legal, organisational and technical instruments that can be used to improve recycling performances at a local level, and will have optimised their recycling policies.
R4R ONLINE TOOL
One of the main outcomes of the R4R project is an online waste management tool for local and regional authorities to input data, calculate indicators, identify transferable good practices relevant to their context and to monitor their progress towards achieving EU targets.
The online tool is using the R4R methodology called “DREC” (Destination RECycling) that includes all homogeneous fractions sent by local authorities to recycling. This means that both fractions separated at the source and material waste going out of sorting centers or of mechanical biological sorting units are recorded as DREC, while sorting residues are included in residual fractions as mixed residual waste.
The online tool is free to use for European local and regional authorities but requires online registration.
A user manual provides concise explanations and support.
R4R METHODOLOGY
R4R partners agreed on a methodology including a common definition of municipal solid waste (MSW), the waste fractions that are included in MSW and the waste fractions that are considered as “recycled” depending on their destination. This methodology is the basis of the online tool that allows comparison and benchmarking between cities and regions. This new notion, “DREC” (Destination RECycling), includes:
- Municipal waste streams separated at source & collected separately (one homogeneous waste stream not mixed with other waste streams) with the purpose of recycling.
- The output from sorting facilities (including bulky waste sorting centres) going directly to facilities for recycling.
- The output from mechanical biological treatment installation (digestate) going directly to facilities for recycling.
The R4R methodology also gives in depth detail on data reporting as well as on indicators enabling comparison between regional/local performances, illustrated by examples from the R4R partners' territories.
Download the R4R Methodology: Municipal Solid Waste Data - R4R project scope
R4R GOOD PRACTICES
R4R partners and some ACR+ members identified effective initiatives that contributed to the increase of their selective collection and recycling of material. These 40 good practices are made of single local instruments (legal, economic, technical or communication instruments) or of combination of such instruments. The cover the following topics:
- Bio-waste collection;
- WEEE, batteries and hazardous waste collection;
- Door-to-door selective collection;
- Other collection systems;
- Legal and economic instruments;
- Communication and advising initiatives;
- Other practices.
Discover the R4R Good Practices.
PARTNERS INVOLVED
Regions for Recycling's lead partner was ACR+ member ORDIF (Ile de France) and its project partners were:
- Association of Cities and Regions (ACR+);
- Efxini Poli, (Greek network of municipalities), EL;
- Federal State Government of Styria, AT;
- Ilfov County Council, RO;
- Lisbon City Council, PT*;
- Municipality of Sofia, BG*;
- Odense Waste Management, DK*;
- OVAM, BE *;
- Southern Waste Region, IE;
- Tallinn City, EE;
- Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC), ES*;
- City of Zagreb, HR*.
* ACR+ member
NEWAPP
NEWAPP is a research project focusing on hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of wet biomass residues.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme managed by RES – Research Executive Agency, 2013-2016.
THE PROJECT
NEWAPP aimed to increase the amount of bio-waste diverted from landfill and incineration into high value products that can be used as fuel, activated carbons for water treatment, soil remediation, carbon sequestration schemes and other applications and to develop an alternative cost/resource-efficient and environmentally sound way of dealing with wet biomass waste through HTC (hydrothermal carbonisation) technology.
ACTIVITIES
The project activities where grouped in five stages:
- Characterization of wet biomass waste streams and definition of end-user requirements
- Obtention of HTC carbon at pilot scale from selected waste streams and post-treatment development for improved solid fuel
- Post-processing of HTC carbon for high-technological applications: biodiesel and electrodes
- Technology assessment and business plan development
- Demonstration of project results
PARTNERS INVOLVED
NEWAPP's project partners were:
- Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
- Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource management (ACR+)
- European Biomass Industrial Association (EUBIA)
- Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Waste Management (BVSE)
- Ingelia SL
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
- Technology Transfer Centre Bremerhaven (TTZ)
- TERRA PRETA GmbH (TP)
More information: http://www.newapp-project.eu/en/