In Paris, a 3 days on waste reduction

by Francesca Morra

In the heart of the Ville Lumière, in the charming neighborhood of “Invalide”; a short walk from the Place de la Concorde, from the 18th to 20th June there was talk of waste reduction and how it is possible and actually achievable in many areas of France and Europe.

Three days of intense meetings: on Monday afternoon there was the COSTEC meeting (The scientific and technic committee of the European Week for Waste Reduction), which was attended by all the national organizers (Andorra; Austria: Styrian Region; Belgium: Brussels Capital Region, Flemish Region, Walloon Region; Brazil: State of Minas Gerais; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Finland; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Malta; Portugal: national, Greater Porto; Slovenia; Spain: Asturias, Bizkaya, Catalonia, Gipuzkoa, Navarra, Valencia; Sweden; The Netherlands; United Kingdom: Belfast, Buckinghamshire, East England Region, London, Scotland, Wales, Warrington; this year there will also be Estonia, Hungary, Iceland and Benin) and where there were presented the results of the previous editions. And what about the future? All the committed organizations want to continue to organize the SERR, despite the uncertain future of funding for the project Life+.

Tuesday morning more than 800 people gathered at the Maison de la Chimie, for the first European Meeting on the Prevention of Waste. On stage, different actors spoke in recounting their experiences of communication campaigns for waste reduction. For Italy, Roberto Cavallo spoke of communication campaigns on composting in Asti and promotion of detergents on draught of the Province of Turin. In the afternoon a representative of the European Commission unit, Alban de Villepin, talked about the 20 years of Life+, what is it and how it is structured. Then Valerie Jouvin, chef of the EWWR, explained and presented the results of three years project. After that, Mathieu Hestin talked about difficulties, strengths and outcomes of the impact of the communication campaign under way with the EWWR. The final outcome of the communication campaign will be presented in late July. After listening to 3 point of views of many project partners (Belgium, Catalonia and Porto) Olivier Declercq (ACR) and Toomas Trapido (foundation Let do it, Estonia) have discussed the future of the "Week": the 4 "historical" partners (ADEME - LIPOR-Port - Catalan Agency for Recycling - Brussels Environnement) have made available to ACR + (Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling, Brussels) a fund to ensure coordination at European level of the EWWR for the next 18 months. During the afternoon the awards for 2011 edition were held which has been discussed last week on envi.info.

The technical conference on Wednesday, June the 20th, organized by ADEME (Agency for Environment and Energy Management) witnessed several speakers, leaders of many seminars. This day allowed participants to have more information and better understanding of some specific issues: food waste, washable nappies and incentive methods for players in regions to reduce hazardous waste. In each of these events the public has participated actively interacting with the speakers.

 The effective participation of the public showed a real interest about waste reduction. The same can be applied to public authorities and the actors who daily work on waste reduction. For three days Paris was the center of waste reduction, we hope that the work will continue on this road and it will spread everywhere in Europe (and beyond).

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SERR 2011, the European awards

by Francesca Morra

Yesterday, Tuesday, the 19th of June, the award ceremony of the third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction was held at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris. In recent weeks, a jury of experts evaluated the awareness on waste reduction that most stood out among the more than seven thousand actions throughout the old continent (and beyond). Prizes were awarded to five categories, one for each kind of project development facing the European project: public administrations, associations and NGOs, businesses, schools and other (hospitals, nursing houses etc.). The work of the jury must not have been easy, but came eventually to a mutual agreement. These are the winners: 

Administration/public authority category: The multi-use Styria Bottle - Specialised Division FA19D Waste and Material Flow Management, Styrian Chamber of Agriculture, Styrian winegrowing enterprises (Styria, Austria) - A campaign carried out across the Styrian region as a partnership between the public administration and the private sector, to increase the quantity of “Steiermarkflaschen” (Styrian wine bottles) that are refilled after their first use.  Association/NGO: Waste Reduction Awareness Project - Junior Chamber International Izmir (Turkey) - A broad campaign involving trainings in 19 schools in Izmir, a businessmen meeting on sustainable waste management, a coastal clean-up and a booth in a supermarket. 

Business/industry: Green Week - Queen’s University Elms Village (Belfast, UK) - Several activities implemented in a residential area housing around 1800 students, including in particular clothes, books and games swapping, a cook book and the handing over of ripped vegetables for free. 

Educational establishment: 49% Less Food Wasted in Bjurhovda School Restaurant - Bjurhovdaskolan/IDA unit (Sweden) - A project to reduce the amount of food waste in the school restaurant and showing the results by putting small balls in a transparent tube visible in the restaurant. 

Other: Better take care of the environment by reducing waste - Medica (France) - A project taking place in 162 nursing houses throughout France, which involved about 10000 dwellers and 7000 employees. Activities involved for instance cooperation with school kids to knit stoles from wool bits and give them away to the red-cross association, cooking workshops and composting trainings. 

The Jury’s favourite: As a Jury’s favourite award this year, the Jury has decided to deliver a special prize to highlight the high and constant quality of the actions nominated in Catalonia during the 3 editions of the European Week for Waste Reduction Awards Competition. This special prize has been handed out to the Organiser of the Week in Catalonia, the ARC (Catalan Waste Agency). 
The full list of candidate actions is on the official website of the European SERR. 

All winners were given a symbolic plaque and the European Waste Reduction Trophy created by F. de Ribaucourt. The climate in the awards ceremony was marked by a palpable atmosphere of celebration and satisfaction, manifested primarily by the members of the European Secretariat. The award ceremony was held inside the first "Rencontres de la prevention des européennes déchets" series of conferences and meetings on the reduction of waste and the SERR, which Envi return to speak in more detail in the next week. If you wait to see what the organizers decided on the future of the "Week" save the date: European Week for Waste Reduction 2012 will take place from the 17th to 25th November 2012!

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EWWR 2011: The Italian finalists

 

by Francesca Morra

After 4 months since the third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction there is still an important assignment to do: to award the most deserving, sustainable, original ones! The awards of the EWWR 2011 European finalists will be held on the next 18th and 19th of June during a ceremony featuring all the organizers and the finalists of every category (public administrations, associations, NGOs, firms, schools and “others”).

 The choice of the Italian finalists, among the 960 actions carried out and recorded has been very difficult for the Italian steering committee, composed by the Ministry of Environment, Federambiente, Rifiuti 21 Network, Province of Turin, Province of Rome, Legambiente, AICA, E.R.I.C.A. and Eco dalle Città. 

In the end, with a vote mediated by the Italian organizing secretary of AICA, the following nominations will be proposed: 
• Representing the public administrations, COVAR 14 with “Cook with the scraps”:featuring the Hotel Management school “Bobbio” of Carignano, Eataly, Slowfood, The Food Stand and local restaurants, it has been created a recipe book “Cook with the scraps”, and have been organized cook with the scraps courses. • Representing the associations, Reloader with the project “A neighbourhood for the environment: the good practice comes from the schools”: the event aimed at spreading conscious behaviours to reduce WEEEs, wastes of electric and electronic equipment and to prevent their indiscriminate abandon, making the students of the Rome Spinaceto neighbourhood assume active responsibility. The first action targeted to inform and give scientific data about WEEE. The second group of actions was about promoting among the public right views and behaviours. The third one has been the action “Clean the public park”, aiming at free the park from wastes. The last one was about a session of collection of WEEE at the High school Majorana. 
• Representing the firms, Farms of Puglia, with “QR-code - SERRevOIL”: it consisted of a new system of olive oil labeling, The Qr code, already used in other fields, is an encrypted writing which contains lots of information in little space, in this way we can save more paper than using the common labels. 
• Representing the schools, Primary school Galileo Galilei of Ispra with “Box? Yes, thanks”: the events in the school have been a lot: the “Fruit-a-day”, that is a day along the week when children had a break eating fruits or vegetables; the daily use of the bring break box without any packaging; the use of flask or a reused bottle or a glass for the tap water, the use of the school’s composter to recycle the organic waste. Even the parents have been involved and the dealers close to the school for the purchase of sustainable breaks. 
• Representing the category “others”, S.E.N.A.P.E., with “Baumobag”; at the tailoring lab “RiciCuci” (where used clothes are recovered) have been made shopping bags using empty packs of cats and dogs food. The packs have been collected through an ads campaign nearby the dog and cat pounds managed by S.E.N.A.P.E., the schools and the animal shops. 

oon we will know if these interesting initiatives could take part to the European finals: in the meantime we congratulate them for reaching such an important goal we wish them “good luck”!

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The third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction 2011 comes to an end

by Rosa Puig i Moré & Francesca Morra

Sunday, November 27, was the last day of the third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction, which has implemented more than 7.000 actions across Europe; once again Italy obtained the second place award with about 960 actions carried out around the country!

In Italy, the media coverage for this edition has been especially remarkable due to numerous appearances on television and radio. There were three runs on “Striscia la Notizia”, by Cristina Gabetti, on “Canale 5”: Saturday, November 12, Saturday, November 19 and Saturday, November 26 (with an average of over 4 million viewers). Two runs on RAI3, one on Ambiente Italia and one on Chetempochefa with nearly 2 million viewers. In addition, several special episodes and interviews on local channels, radio, digital channels and online TVs. There have been also several publications on the press: e.g the Corriere della Sera.

Even though the rain hasn’t stopped for some days during the “Week”, Project Developers haven’t been discouraged. In fact, even in those places where bad weather caused serious inconveniences, Organizers found the way to carry out planned initiatives, giving attesting the true passion of people who adhere to the "Week" and who make this yearly growing initiative possible. In June 2012, in Paris, the European Awards will be given to European most original and worthy actions, basing on the evaluations made by a panel of experts.

This has been the third and last edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction within the LIFE + Program of the European Commission, but the Italian promoter of the “Week”, Roberto Cavallo, President of AICA, confirms that this project won’t stop here: “The European Commission is evaluating the possibility to keep up the economic support to the European promoters coordinated by the Association of Cities and Regions of Brussels. Anyway, the European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik, has already declared that this is one of the most important and most successful initiative of the last 10 years, so we hope the initiative continues.”

The Italian Promoter Committee, composed by the Environment Ministry, Federambiente, Rifiuti 21 Network, Province of Turin, Province of Rome, Legambiente, AICA, E.R.I.C.A. and Eco dalle Città, expressed his gratitude to all the Project Developers who organized so many interesting and successful actions and also who participated in them.

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Turning waste into a resource. It happens to the EWWR 2011 markets

by Eleonora Anello

It’s really rewarding getting rid of the objects we do not use anymore. It's good for the spirit and... for the environment! For this reason, the barter and used markets have become a must among the actions dedicated to the European Week for Waste Reduction.

This weekend, across the Milan’s hinterland, and more precisely in Mesero and Albairate, two important markets of barter, reuse and repair will be held. It’s important because they build up a relationship across the area and are part of a more complex process, as told us the President of the Consorzio dei Comuni dei Navigli, Carlo Ferrè: «We started on the occasion of the EWWR 2010, organizing in Vittuone the NoTrash Mob in the schools. We went on with the campaign “Il primato della leggerezza” ("The primacy of light"), seeking to decrease the amount of waste produced and at the same time to improve the separate waste collection and the quality of life of our citizens. On this Monday the educational phase of our operation will start. With the help of some volunteer groups, we're going to assess family by family the quality of separate collection applying different tags on waste bags. This tags are red, yellow and green depending on the quality and will be motivated to make clear to citizens what they are doing wrong if they're wrong».

Among stands of books, toys, kitchenware and jewelry we also met the deputy mayor of Mesero, Giuseppe Fusè. «As soon as the Consortium proposed these initiatives we immediately responded with enthusiasm. The action has a strong impact on the environment because it removes from the disposal a large number of goods which may be still used instead of becoming waste. Furthermore, it has a social impact creating a virtuous circle involving all citizens and inviting to reflect on the possibility to repair some items instead of throwing them away. To be more sustainable, we advertised the event mostly by mail and through word-of-mouth, avoiding an excessive production of leaflets».

The Mesero market was also a place of education through the information point in which were distributed the campaign’s bags and the “Centalogo”, a guide to the correct disposal of waste. The plumber who gave useful advices on how solving small housework and taught domestic water saving has been particularly appreciated by participants. The highlight of the day was the construction of a recumbent bike from salvaged parts of old bicycles, managed by Ecobent. The market has been constantly monitored using recording sheets of occurred trade, in order to get an effective estimation of saved waste.

In the meanwhile, today Sunday, November 27, in L'Aquila, a city that has always cared a lot about the EWWR despite the hard time it lived during the launching days of the first European edition, the barter Market is being held on - Exchanging not Throwing, initiative coordinated by the Environment Office and ASM Spa. The president of the multi-service company Luigi Fagiani said: «We wait for citizens in this important event in the Dante Alighieri school, on Onna Street. To be a good example is first and foremost our responsibility as administrators. In fact we will be bringing some objects there and actively participating in the initiative. A smart way for getting rid of no longer useful items and for replacing them with others we need without creating waste. The goal is to transform waste into resources».

So... have a good bargain at all!

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School of reduction

by Silvia Musso

Again this year the schools have not been denied. For the third year, in fact, the percentage of participation of schools at EWWR has been very high.

As already shown by the action of the Pozzuoli School (Naples province), which in 2009 had won the European Award for schools category, the strengths that make effective the initiatives proposed by schools are the involvement of the community and the will to extend their duration at the whole school year. From all over Italy the enthusiasm and interest of students, teachers and headmasters on environmental issues of waste prevention widespread beyond the narrow boundaries of school walls to involve different actors: households, neighborhoods, people, shops.

Thanks to EWWR environmental education activities from few hours cut throughout the school year hve become true programming to be integrated to traditional programs.

This is what the three schools, among many others, demonstrated.

The “Istituto Comprensivo of Fiano” (Turin province, north Italy) with “Lo Zero Rifiuto!!! …. Buone pratiche sul territorio” (Zero waste!...Good pratctises on territory) conducted a brainstorming session on ways to reduce waste at school and organized a visit to a site that deals with the problems of waste and its reduction (composting site, company repair shop, second hand ...). It also began to network different local actors - municipalities, mountain communities, industries - for a project to be realized in the future and aimed at waste reduction, with the realization of a conference or a projection of films followed by discussion and an exhibition on the activities and achievements of students adressed to parents and inhabitants.

The “Istituto Comprensivo Galileo Chini – Scarperia” (Florence province, centre Italy) November 21st with "Rifiutili" (Useful waste) has sparked a number of initiatives that will continue throughout the school year. Students and teachers will dedicate to the creation of a laboratory of recycled paper, visit the store "Mercatopoli" that sells second hand items, to read passages about the restoration, reuse and recycle, reuse for the snack food not consumed during the lunch, etc. The parents of the students will also be involved in workshops as well as work of restoration of old objects in the school, to be sold during the year in the flea markets of the city centre, in the exchange of used textbooks, maintenance and renovation of school buildings and restoration and sale of used games.

The “Primo Circolo Solofra” (Avellino province, South Italy) instead made a real ecological week where the most important element was the involvment not only of students, engaged in "Operation Empty Garbage Bin", but also of their families. Parents had to agree to accompany their children to school on foot throughout the Week and to organize at home information meetings with relatives and friends to spread some good waste prevention practises to play in the week.

The schools have become a source of prevention messages addressed to the whole community through not extemporaneous actions, but integrated in educational activities, in continuity with previous years and with the cooperation of families and other local actors. The academic world has shown that the EWWR in these three years has succeeded in its main communication objective: to make the waste reduction a common practice, a lifestyle and not only a sporadically activity as teacher Anna Maria Dreoni of Scarperia claim: «The school has always had an eye for environmental education, adhering to initiatives and projects that, broadly speaking, had the intent to educate pupils to feel good in their environment. We think that in the first cycle is the fundamental task of the school teachers to educate children to the economical use of objects and their affairs and hence resources. EWWR offers us the opportunity to tell our children that we are in a broader horizon, which at the same time in which they reflect and carry of the laboratories, there are millions of children and young people across Europe who think the same problems and perform activities similar to theirs».

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Let’s put our bins on a diet!

by Marzia Fialdini

EU citizens produce 2% more waste every year; in Italy each citizen generates on average 10.5 kg of trash per week: quantities that have to be dramatically reduced. For raising institutions’, stakeholders’ and consumers’ awareness about the waste prevention strategies and policies enacted by the European Union, was created the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), this year at its third edition. From November 19 to 27, initiatives will be promoted across the country in order to inform as many citizens as possible about simple everyday actions for preventing waste.

On Sunday, November 27, in Madama Cristina Square in Turin, from 10 am to 6 pm, to the motto: I refuse! - The commitment of all to reduce waste, Amiat and City of Turin will organize a big street party to promote small good daily habits which enable to reduce waste at source and to weigh less down on the environment. Through games, workshops, entertainment and markets, public will be able to understand the importance of using objects for as long as possible, the importance of making separate waste collection and to change bad behavior in order to reduce waste production.

Other organizations will attend the event: the Torino Province which will support the campaign on reusable nappies; SMAT, encouraging tap water drinking through the Water Bar; Coldiretti Torino, which will teach children to transplant seedlings and potted flowers with compost; the Environment Museum, with its Ecological Footprint Laboratory; the Ecologos Research Institute, which has been campaigning on reducing the packaging of communication products and has started a chain of light stores, just to name a few of the many initiatives which are present there.

Thanks to the collaboration of the CSI-Piemonte - Consortium for Information System - an online game has been created. It can be accessed from a mobile phone in order to enable anyone to face the new challenge: the effective capacity of each of us to put our bins on a diet.

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The European Week for Waste Reduction already succeeds: we are almost 1000 organizers

by Emanuela Rosio

Here we are, the European Week for Waste Reduction has reached its third edition. An edition marked by the growth of the participation both on the side of participating Countries and on the side of the number of actions implemented across Europe.

In Italy we arrived to 900 events, appointments and actions which will take place from November 19 to 27 in every Region, from the North to the South. In squares, in theatres, in schools, in meeting places, we will discuss about reducing waste. Because reducing waste means approaching in a respectful way towards natural resources, taking care of our environment and being more aware about our citizens role in addressing public policies.

There will be moments during which schools, businesses and public bodies will meet citizens to communicate the importance of focusing on our behaviors implementing concrete changes: goods swapping and recovery, information deepening moments (theatre shows, congresses ecc.) and moments in which experimenting new practices and discussing about our future and our role in determining it.

Envi will signal and review the most effective and innovative actions and we ask you to keep yourselves posted and participate on www.menorifiuti.org; in fact, it’s likely that some actions could take place near to your place. If someone wish to make something more concrete we can suggest some simple acts for participating directly in this campaign that, born in few countries, has been rapidly spreading across Europe thanks to all those who contributed to implement it in the field.

We can make many different things. Let’s think of all disposable items we use everyday, of all the packaging we can avoid drinking tap water or using textile bags, of the quantity of food we throw away and of how avoiding waste improving our shopping. Daily routine actions are many, we ask you to think of them and, if you want, to write us…

Enjoy the EWWR!

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