European Week for Waste Reduction: And the Winners are…

by Silvia Musso

March, 15th and 16th were two important days for the European Life+ project of the “European Week for Waste Reduction” (EWWR).

On Monday, March 15th the EWWR Ceremony Awards took place in Brussels, at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. Among more than 2690 actions held in the week from 21st to 29th November 2009, an European Jury, formed by experts, chose five best projects, one for each of the categories whom the project was addressed to: administrations and public authorities, associations and NGOs, business, educational institutions and other (hospitals, nursing homes etc.).«It has been an had job for the Jury –said Olivier De Clerq, member of ACR+, a Belgian organization that was among the promoters of the EWWR– The actions were numerous and all original: from the small action of a Swedish artist to the one involving a whole neighborhood in Brussels. But all were very interesting».

After the greetings of Evelyne Huytebroeck, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Urban Renovation for the Brussels-Capital Region, who underlined how the EWWR was a way to create collaborations and synergies to make the prevention become true, the EWWR 2009 outcomes were presented and, in a raising waiting atmosphere and general ferment, the winners were finally announced.
For the administrations and public authorities category the award went to the Estonian Ministry of Environment, for the acrion “Let’s do it with Ferda”. For associations and NGOs the Spanish Cooperative Roba Amigo stood out with “Enrenou de roba”. For businesses Sweden was selected for the “Eurest” project to sensitize restaurants to reduce their waste. Among schools the winner was the Italian action “Sei tu che fai la differenza”, promoted by the VII Circolo Didattico di Pozzuoli, which involved pupils in spreading the themes of waste prevention. Then, as far as the other category is concerned, the winner is the Portuguese project “Eduardo & Emilia Machada”, realized by a Parish with more than 600 boys and girls.
The Special Prize of Jury went to the Communauté de Communes de la Presqu’Ile de Crozon, a Consortium of Municipalities in Brittany (France), for the communication campaign “Bienvenue à Poubellec’h”, based on the word “poubelle” (dustbin) written as a Breton word.
All the winners got a plaque and a prize made of waste materials, an original and highly symbolic object.

For a chapter close another opens. Today, Tuesday March 16th, the organizers of the participating Member States and Regions meet for the Scientific and Technical Committee meeting to discuss and organize the next edition, that will take place on November 2010 from 20th to 28th.
Be ready: at the end of March there will be the first call for interest!