Waste: a sustainable and participatory management

by Alessio Sciurpa

More and more public participation, information and communication based, and permeate the activities of governance in environmental matters. An excellent example of this, is the waste management area, with its multiple benefits.
Specifically to create professionals who can handle this type of division, was created the Master "Waste: a sustainable and participatory management" organized by the Department of Ecology and Sustainable Economic Development (Decos) for the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the Tuscia University (Italy), in collaboration with the Foundation for Sustainable Development (SUSDEF) and the patronage of AnciLazio, City of Viterbo and AUSL Viterbo. 8 months of course, from November 5, 2009 to June 2010.

Edo Ronchi, President of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, co-promoter of the Master. How did the idea of a training course specifically on waste management and why?
The new Directive 2008/98/EC on waste contains significant new features (prevention, preparation for reuse, the elimination of waste after treatment for recovery, quantified targets for recycling, etc.) that resulted in an update of Directors and operators. After the emergency in Campania (south Italy), there is a new and better attention on waste management and in particular the collection: this requires even greater effort in training for the dissemination of good practices already widely tested.

Silvano Onofri, Master Coordinator, can anticipate what will be the educational strands which address the participants?
The course includes a series of lectures on environment, education, participation and waste management, legislation, organization, technology and so on, while a substantial part of the master is dedicated to the Stage, a period of collective training that members can play in the City of Bomarzo. The aim it is to form a laboratory dedicated to the sustainable and participatory management of waste. Many company that are part of the Foundation for Sustainable Development simultaneously has become available to accommodate the students in Stage.

How important is today's active participation in the implementation of good policies in the field of waste management?
Without public participation in social life we can not expect to find a solution to the issue of waste management. We set up a training program that aims to solve real problems because the waste is not an extra, but an important resource of our country to be exploited in a positive way.