Ikea, Coop and Leroy Merlin: Neapolitans meet "Sballati e Compost-i!"

by Annalisa Tancredi

It was a week full of meetings and best practices that promoted by Anea on the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction. Within the project "Sballati e Compost-i!" (no-packed and composting) and in collaboration with major brands of supermarket chains such as Ikea, Leroy Merlin and UniCoop Tirreno, free seminars and information points were promoted to raise citizens on choosing products with reduced or reusable packaging.

Launched on November 2011 by Anea (Neapolitan Energy Agency) and the City of Naples, "Sballati e Compost-i!" project aims to reduce the amount of waste (about 35% of the total) and the organic fraction (40% of the total) in the waste, and promote the use of products such as detergents and food on tap (cereals, pasta, rice and vegetables bulk, etc.). composters, cloth diapers, bedding ecological. “Sballati e Compost-i! is a project we are developing in collaboration with partners such as Confcommercio, Confesercenti, Federconsumatori, Legambiente and WWF - said Michele Macaluso, Anea director - The objective is to facilitate citizens in finding and identifying no-packaging products. The campaign, in fact, is having great success with 160 stores joined and 90 unpacked products distributed ".

Thanks their know-how and in collaboration with GDO brands, in occasion of SERR were organized several events involving many Neapolitan citizens.

- for 4 days the Neapolitans companies joining the project, took part of "Infopoint Ecospesa" at COOP in via Arenaccia, providing all information requested by the hundreds of visitors about the characteristics of sustainability of no packed products;
- during 3 free seminars on "How to Make Home Composting" at the IKEA and Leroy Merlin, trainers have explained all the steps necessary to practice composting in private homes and in condominiums to reduce the organic waste fraction.

Finally, during the press conference on Thursday, 15th November, the Anea and the City of Naples, announced the launch of a subsidy for the purchase of compost, to benefit Neapolitans citizenship and condominiums have a garden. The aim is to entrench even more the culture of integrated waste cycle and encourage the adoption of measures that benefit not only to the individual but all the community.

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Lesson number one: reduction!

by Valentina Tibaldi

The bell is ringing, it’s time for waste reduction. In the Comprehensive School G.B. Monteggia in Laveno Mombello, the reflection on waste reduction includes concrete actions aiming to educate young people to have a more reasoned relationship with… their garbage!

Along with the EWWR (European Week for Waste Reduction) style, the underlying belief is that preventing an overproduction of waste is easier than we think: we just need common sense and the right amount of creativity. 

Which snack generates less waste? The school managed to create a well-structured educational project starting from daily experience and ordinary questions like this. First of all, the project is based on a competition, where students have to use their skills to find the best way of approaching the issue of waste reduction. In order to win an award made of papier-mâché and other recycled materials, they are going to become: skilled communicators thinking up effective claims and coordinate graphic for the message they want to deliver; wise strategists drawing up a list of useful actions to reduce waste production; practiced craftsman designing different containers in order to make a proper separate collection of rubbish; estrous artists finding innovative usages to potential garbage.

But this is not the end. In fact, if reducing our own waste is easy, finding new ways of reducing it can be even funny: from November, 19th to 23rd, severe guardians of trashcans will be controlling their classmates’ behaviors, while artistic and informative exhibitions about environment sustainability will be filling the halls of the school.
In these terms, the event crosses scholastic borders, aiming to become a permanent project, extended to pupils’ families. With a unique purpose: transmitting to adults that same consciousness young people learn and experience at school.

Manuela Trevisan, teacher and promoter of the project together with Alessandra Annoni and Paola Zarini, claims that: “this project makes students feel real protagonists and part of a bigger system. United we stand: if all of us take even a small step in the right direction, then we can do many great things”.

In this way, European Week for Waste Reduction becomes what it has always meant to be: a Month, a Year, a Lifestyle.

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The Barter Week for a sustainable holiday

by Sofia Lorenzini

In the last years the barter is back to being used always more by all people who want to save money and at the same time to have a more human trade. For this reason the website www.bed-and-breakfast.it has promoted the initiative Barter Week, to be held from 19 to 25 November 2012, for the fourth time.

The Barter Week is also affiliated to the European Week for Waste Reduction 2012, they both aim to improve the quality of our lives with more sustainable habits and trades. The B&B can promote and spread initiatives related to their management, while participants of the European Week for Waste Reduction can become travellers aware of the Italian B&B resources linked to the territory and the quality of life.

The increasing number of Italian Bed and Breakfast, over 2000 currently, affiliated with www.bed-and-breakfast.it will be ready to make you stay in their facilities in exchange for goods or services. Throughout all the Barter Week there will be no money payments, in order to push both the guest and the operator to focus on the human aspect of hospitality and the opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise. With the help of the crisis, barter is making us rediscover the value added to the simple holiday of a cultural exchange experience. The initiative also encourages the imagination of travellers with offers to the B&B, most of all the creation of photo, videos and websites.

Travellers have three ways to search for a sustainable holiday: they can go to the official website www.settimanadelbaratto.it, choose the place to visit and contact the manager; they can look at the "Lista dei Desideri dei Gestori“ (Wish List Managers) and find an offer that suits them; or they can propose their own barter to all regional or Italian B&B. In the section “Proposte dei Viaggiatori” (Proposals Travelers)  you can enter your offer of barter.
If you're a B&B and you want to partecipate you have to add to the list on the website www.bed-and-breakfast.it.

There is also a Facebook page www.facebook.com/settimanadelbaratto which currently has more than 73,000 fans, growing at a rate of 500 per day, constantly busy with offers and requests for exchange.

From the words of the promoters: "With the Barter Week you can spend a weekend out of town and discover Italy off-season creating new friendly relations based on respect and trust. You can make up a different holiday and have plenty of human contact, exchanges of experience and professionalism going back to the origins of hospitality and gratitude. Save on the cost of a holiday embracing the philosophy of "not what you have but what you are and you can do."

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EWWR 2012 break all records!

by Francesca Morra


Ready for the European Week for Waste Reduction 2012? For 8 days will promote public awareness on the theme of waste reduction and try to realize the spirit of that reduction with practical actions. This 4th edition is characterized by breaking all records: the latest press releases issued in fact speak of more than 10,000 shares validated across Europe with the aim to inform and above all to convince people to produce less waste through the adoption of simple everyday actions.

Once again the "Week" has exceeded all expectations: 35 organizers, 23 countries and involved 10,793 shares officially validated. 5,261 are Italian! This number was announced during the official presentation at Ecomondo on November 9. This shows how the SERR works also in Italy, where it is organized with the support of CONAI (such as Main Sponsor) and CIC (Italian Composting Association).

To involve even more all Project Developer this year the Italian Organizing Committee (composed by Ministero dell’Ambiente, Federambiente, AICA, Provincia di Torino, Rifiuti 21 Network, Provincia di Roma, Legambiente, e i partner tecnici ERICA soc. coop. ed Eco dalle Città) has proposed three actions to be organized today, November 17. These have been enthusiastically received by many Project Developer who then organized nine reconstructions of the logo of SERR (organized by associazione HART, Circolo territoriale jonico Rifiuti Zero, associazione Qedora, Oratorio Santa Maria Maggiore, Comitato San Michele di Pagana, Comitato Civico Ripuliamo Civico e Terrasini, Comune di Arzachena, Augustea Holding spa, Comune di Rivalta); 5 NoTrash Mob (organized by: Comitato San Michele di Pagana, Ecogaia, Associazione R-esistere & Co, Rifiuti Zero Lentini, Comune di Capaci) e un Freeze (organized Comitato Civico Ripuliamo Civico e Terrasini).

Despite the underlying belief that the important thing is to take part, we remember that the most important actions will be proclaimed during the Awards Ceremony to be held in Rome on December 12 with the support of Sartori Ambiente, Edizioni Ambiente, Ecostore and General Beverage. Also this year, with the collaboration of Evvivanoè art exhibitions Cherasco (Cuneo), the winners will received a work created specifically for the awards.

Unfortunately they can’t reward everyone, but the SERR became social: secretariat propose to all the Project Developer to tweet their actions by using the hashtag # SERR12. The best tweets will be collected and disseminated. Follow the official page and on Facebook, and also on the websites of Media Partner: Econews, Rifiutilab, Gsa Igiene Urbana, GreenReport, and Alternativa Sostenibile and Free Service (Ambiente & Regioni).

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Extend to 31st of October the deadline for the application forms to join the EWWR 2012

by Francesca Morra


The European Week for Waste Reduction is proceeding at full speed and just the impetus of public’s will, led the Italian organizers (Aica and the Italian Organizing committee) to extend to 31st of October the deadline for the application forms to join the EWWR 2012. The fourth edition of the week has the support of CONAI and CIC for the Italian coordination.

The goal is to achieve and, why not, overcome, more than 960 actions counted last year in Italy. From this point of view, the organizers are very positive and they expect the boom of the arrival of membership cards around November, 1st, in a perfect Italian-style. Participating in large number is important to spread what the "Week" wants to convey: “You can reduce waste, concretely and simply, by implementing daily measures" as stated in the last press release and as evidenced by Facebook.

This spirit of sharing objectives led to plan new common actions across Europe. This year the Organizing Committee will allow all who want to take part in the week, but do not know how, to make three common actions: NoTrash Mob, Freeze or "Build EWWR logo". To find out how to join, on the official website of the "Week" you can find explanations for each common action. "With these actions, we want to further immerse the audience," explain the Organizing Secretariat "also attracting the media."
New this year is the establishment of national awards. In fact, for each category will be awarded a Project Developer. They have to show that they have achieved the objectives of the "Week" in visibility and communicational aspects, in originality, quality of content and focus on waste prevention; reproducibility of the action and follow-up terms of long-term impact. The award ceremony will take place with the support of Sartori Ambiente, Edizioni Ambiente, Ecostore and General Beverage. Also this year, with the collaboration of Evvivanoè art exhibitions of Cherasco (Cuneo), the winners receive a handwork created specifically for the awards.

All those who want to keep themselves connected about the European Week for Waste Reduction developments can visit the official website and the Facebook page, with the linked event. Few days remaining before the new deadline for joining the European Week for Waste Reduction. The Secretariat (serr@assaica.org) is ready to enlist anyone who wants to join in, associations, organizations, administrations, schools, corporations etc. Participation is open to all those who spread the waste reduction goal as the new war on waste. We therefore expect a lot of action along with original and effective communication campaigns which will provide news in future articles.

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EWWR: let’s get it started!

by Francesca Morra



The National Organizing Committee (Ministry of Environment, Federambiente, Rifiuti 21 Network, Province of Turin, Province of Rome, Legambiente, AICA, ERICA Soc. coop., Eco dalle Città), after its meeting in Rome last July 19 at the Ministry of the Environment, officially opened the registrations to the fourth edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction to be held 17 to 25 November 2012.

The EWWR is an environmental communication campaign focused on reducing waste, originated within the LIFE+ project with the primary target of raising awareness among the institutions, stakeholders and consumers about all the strategies and policies for the waste prevention in the European Union, that Member States must pursue, even in light of recent regulatory measures (such as the waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC).

Event that has become indispensable for the supporters of a life with less waste, the past three editions have seen an increasing participation: 430 actions registered in 2009, 585 in 2010 and 960 last year! The significance of these numbers is mainly due to the fact that you have to be an institution or Public Administration, an association or a nonprofit organization, a school or a university or a company, etc. to became a project developer. So it is important to emphasize that the "week" works mainly because it is an opportunity to get together and develop action as a group. 

“This year’s innovation is the Italian Award. – Said Roberto Cavallo, President of AICA, which for the fourth year will be the Organizing Secretary- This will contribute to reward the most virtuous actions of each category that will display the reach of the week targets in terms of visibility and communications; originality; content quality and focus on waste prevention; action’s reproducibility and long term follow up”. In addicition, this year, we decided to advance the applications open up compared to the previous editions. 

In order to take part in the “week”and becoming a “project developer”, you have to subject the application form to the National Committee filling the form (Adhesion form), clicking on this link, in addition to the Committee’s other members websites and send it to serr@assaica.org. If the application will meet the European assignements, they will be convalidated by the Committee and will be named “Action for the European Week for Waste Reduction” and will receive the campaign’s kit and obviously the possibility to use the european logo. Also individuals can participate to the week by writing their personal commitments on the website board www.menorifiuti.org: everyone can write down their own waste reduction experience”.

Many other innovations are scheduled for this year edition, so follow the official website www.menorifiuti.org and the Facebook page. Be a part of the week!

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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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QR-code for SERRe Salentine’s extra virgin olive oil

by Annalisa Tancredi

A slice of bread and a thin drizzle of oil are the symbols of simplicity and culinary heritage of Salento’s greenhouses (Serre Salentine) that, during the European Week for Waste Reduction 2011, will be the backdrop for oil tasting and waste prevention events and of the presentation of "QR code SERR ev OIL” project.

In occasion of the period of oil production and SERR 2011, many local farms will promote best practices to optimize oil preservation, production and consumption among those tourists who every year visit Salento to taste new oil. The initiative focuses on three main themes: waste-oil reduction (longer life product), waste-packaging containment (less waste thrown out) and the optimization of resources (produce in an eco-friendly way).

Expert agronomists will explain preservation best practices for a “Longer life product” to the testers along the "oil’s streets", in order to ensure a chemical and organoleptic integrity and at the same time reducing waste. In this way is possible to “throw out less waste” like oil or packaging like bottles or containers; the aim is to raise awareness among consumers and producers and to promote reuse of containers or alternative packaging system.

But the top-of-the-range is the launch of a new best practice to “Produce in an eco-fiendly way” for oil businessman: it's the “Qr code SERR ev OIL” project (a new oil labelling system), sponsored by City of Lecce and Radio Skylab. Qr-code, already widely used in other sectors, is a cryptogram which codify a considerable mass of informations in less space. The project developer Antonio Stea explained the operation: "Once photographed, the Qr-code will direct users to the company’s website where they can find a variety of information about the characteristics of the product, price, food combinations and best preservation techniques to lengthen the product shelf life. It’s also possible to insert a link to an audio/video, so consumers can taste the oil and at the same time listening information about oil, its origin country and the history of Salento’s greenhouses".

In addition, the code could reduce labels’ size and obtain a substantial savings of paper and petrochemicals-derived materials.

The iniziative is certainly an original and innovative way to take part in the SERR advertising in the same time waste reduction, digital technologies and Salento typical products.

It’s possible to taste new extra virgin olive oil from Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th November at the following farms: Imbriani in Casale Marchesi (Casarano), Agrosì (Supersano), Manco Antonio (Alliste), Faraioli (Casarano), Bernardi (Tuglie) and Agronatura (Taviano).

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Thanks to COVAR14, food waste play a leading role EWWR 2011

by Andrea Stecich

What about bread and pasta left-overs? These days it’s a quite weird question.

Many of us, for various motivations, prefer getting rid of them in the rubbish or, more sensitively, recycling them through the compost heap collection system. Anyway, thrown waste are still edible and rich of nutritious: in the EU, 89 millions of tons of food per year are thrown away, and 42% of them come from our kitchens, rather than from supermarkets. Starting from these facts, on the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction which will take place from November 19 to 27, COVAR14 (South Turin Province Consortium for Waste Collection) decided to spread an innovative and strong message in order to stimulate public’s reflection, even though the practices are actually not so revolutionary, because our grandparents already used to reuse food waste.

Following the tradition then, COVAR14, in collaboration with Istituto Alberghiero Bobbio di Carignano, Eataly, Slowfood, Banco Alimentare and the restaurateurs, produced a “left-overs recipe book”. This was an opportunity for restaurateurs to show their cooking skills. Istituto Bobbio has been involved in organizing the scheduled events (three cooking classes and a left-overs dinner open to citizenship) thank to its teachers professionalism; Eataly Slowfood and Banco Alimentare will be in charge of food supply and transportation, and they will form the technical panel during the final dinner. The dishes, cooked by Istituto Bobbio’s personnel, will be voted according to different categories (maximum reuse dish, zero consumption dish, the best dish etc.), For giving visibility to the initiative, posters and press advertisements (Corriere di Moncalieri, il Carmagnolese, Luna Nuova, il Mercoledì) have been produced, and municipalities have also been involved. The recipe book will be the starting basis for the EWWR events, and it will be handed out by the municipalities or during the events. Otherwise you can download the pdf version from the COVAR14 website.

This way we can bring home a fragment of the ancient “reusing art”, for spreading across friends and relatives, saving money and preserving the environment.

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Becoming a zero waste company

by Silvia Musso

At the third and final edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction, the cooperative ERICA, technical partner of the Italian Committee has decided to engage seriously changing its "connotations". From company attentive to the principles of waste reduction – it is in fact a leader in Italy into the field of environmental communication about recycling and waste prevention - will fully convert to the philosophy "zero waste".

During the European Week, the Board of Directors will adopt a specific resolution that will engagr the company in all its components to arrive not to produce non-recyclable waste by 2020. The Board has identified some criteria and actions such as the progressive removal of "disposable" goods, the purchase of goods from recycled materials, the purchase of goods with minimal packaging, on-site composting of organic waste of the kitchen, the two-sided printing of documents and re-use of paper printed on one side for specific needs, the careful determination of the amount of material for communication campaigns to contain the remains.

The decision will be communicated to all the working members, employees and collaborators also indicating the concrete activities to be undertaken. A month after the resolution, an analysis will count the type of waste still produced by ERICA and will evaluate corrective or new actions.

Those responsible for internal technical office, which has prepared a special investigation to determine how to reduce waste production, answered our questions.

The strengths of this action are numerous. Two particularly make it innovative among all the EWWR 2011 actions: the two-way communication, directed either inside - towards members and employees - or outside - to suppliers and customers - and replicability in other companies. Can you explain these two aspects?
«E.R.I.C.A. is a cooperative company, where the corporate form is itself a philosophical management model which principles are shared and promoted by the Board of Directors. E.R.I.C.A. works primarily for public administrations with citizens, and environmental issues permeate all activities promoted and developed by E.R.I.CA. For these reasons the choice of a policy aimed for "zero waste" can not be realized without the involvement of tose actiors with which, directly or indirectly, ERICA work and collaborate. Awareness to the issues of sustainable development is a key policy of E.R.I.C.A. and the will to create a methodical process, monitored and replicable by other companies represents the correct completion of the company mission».

The initiative is certainly worthy, but the difficulty will be to keep the commitments over the eight days of EWWR. What distinguishes this initiative from a mere marketing strategy?
«E.R.I.C.A. has decided to formalize a virtuous cycle to reduce its waste already taken a long time ago that also contributed to obtaining ISO 14001 certification. The EWWR is just the occasion to introduce such commitment that involves the integration of its system of quality management and environmental protection with procedures that tend to a progressive reduction of waste. This will be done in the first place with a careful analysis of the daily flows of materials, from the purchase to final disposal stage, going to identify the critical points and setting of specific targets in the medium and long term. The monitoring will be crucial, and this is why E.R.I.C.A. will identify significant indicators that will be kept under control.We invite anyone who believes that this initiative is only a publicity strategy to follow E.R.I.C.A. through the many channels by which it daily communicates, and get in touch with us: we will be glad to present results and offer advice to anyone wishing to take the same path».

Envi definitely takes the call and will follow with interest this experience, unique of its kind in the world of Italian businnesses, in the hope that other companies are encouraged to take the same path.

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EWWR 2011: Casematte and Equiliberi. Turin and Pinerolo to reduce waste.

by Francesca Morra

The third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction has finally begun, involving 960 actions throughout Italy. Among these, about 16% will be implemented by associations, which are assuming a major role spreading the spirit of SERR 2011 among their members, and not only them. Let’s start from Piedmont, taking a look to the non-profit organization Equiliberi and to the association Casematte.

Equiliberi Onlus is a Pinerolo-based association committed in social solidarity activities in many different sectors, always with special care to environmental protection, principle enshrined by the Association Charter. Through the initiative “L'impronta (ecologica) è servita” (The (ecological) footprint is served) Equiliberi carries out its awareness campaign on several occasions: submitting EWWR questionnaires to City’s administrators, to volunteers of AVASS and for all students; giving sustainable development classes; cooking dinners with leftovers, organizing travelling aperitifs and afternoon snacks for spreading waste reduction.

In particular it should be noted the presentation of the Sustainable Development Project on November 22, from 18:30 – to around 20:00 at Eataly Pinerolo - route Poirino 104, Pinerolo (Turin).

It’ll be focused on food recovery and on education to sustainable development in the catering industry as well as on best practices for waste reduction. President Maria B. Romano says that, with these initiatives, the association proposes «to contribute to moulding a culture aimed at preventing the production of excess waste and at creating opportunities for businesses and the urban system in general».

The Casematte association was formed in Turin in 2009 by a group of professionals working in promoting social and community development. For the EWWR 2011 they created the initiative “Guardacampo in città” (Scarecrows in the city): it's an exhibition, visible from November 22 to 27 (at the Collective Garden, Turin) of scarecrows made ​​from recycled materials by the students of ASL TO 2 and of the Educational Service of Deaf Institute of Turin. These scarecrows, together with having a decorative function, host in their structure plants and vegetables, enabling a “vertical” small and portable balcony growing treated with self-made compost.

According to Chiara Casotti, one of the founders of the association and in charge of the EWWR 2011 activity «collective participation in cultivating a plot of land together, encourages openness to social and cultural diversity, facilitating, in particular, the integration process of foreign citizens and persons with disabilities, in a wider perspective which goes beyond the environment».

Of particular interest, this action proves itself to be even more innovative giving the chance to "adopt" the scarecrows: close to each of them, in fact, will be left a sheet of paper on which anyone can write his name for requesting the adoption.

Do not miss the opportunity to participate in these worthy of note actions.

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The European Week for Waste Reduction doubles!

by Eleonora Anello

Finally here. After a long wait, the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) will run for the third time between 19 and 27 November 2011, with the aim of informing large numbers of European citizens about the simple actions that they can take in everyday life to help contribute to waste reduction efforts. According to the last count, 7035 EWWR actions are being implemented in 2011. Once again, the previous year’s record has been broken! (4346 actions in 2010).In order to coordinate and promote the 2011 Week, 34 Organisers across 20 countries are mobilising stakeholders and validating their actions.

Under the coordination of the 34 organisers and with the support of the European Secretariat of the Week, a variety of project developers, including administrations, associations and NGOs, businesses and industry, educational establishments, etc. are getting involved in the EWWR by carrying out awareness-raising actions about waste reduction, with various target audiences (citizens, employees, pupils, etc.).

These actions will focus on the various stages of the product cycle, ranging from production and consumption to reuse. They will be focused on one or several of the 5 following themes: Too much waste – Better production – Better consumption – A longer life for products – Less waste thrown away.

The European character of the EWWR will be reinforced by introducing common actions across Europe in 2011. These common actions will take place during the Week in different locations in Europe using the same methods, sharing the common objective of highlighting their real impact on waste reduction. There are five categories of common actions, focussing on various symbolic issues: Paper waste reduction; Food waste reduction; Repair & reuse; Excessive packaging waste reduction; Clean-up days. The idea is to measure the waste avoided during the actions themselves and to communicate this information.

The most outstanding European Week for Waste Reduction actions will be rewarded at the European Waste Reduction Awards Ceremony in June 2012 in Paris.

We want to conclude by using the words of the President of AICA, Roberto Cavallo, who spent all these years for the success of the EWWR in Italy: «Prevention comes before all! The nature, even dramatically, tells us this. The doctors tell us this. The laws tell us this. An extraordinary lay prophet like Calvin tells us this. Let's try together with the EWWR».

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What’s up with the EWWR 2011?

by Francesca Morra

The European Week for Waste Reduction is proceeding at full speed and just the impetus of public’s will, led the Italian organizers (Aica and the Italian Organizing committee) to extend to 2 November the deadline by when sending the application forms for joining the EWWR 2011.

The goal is to achieve, and why not overcome, more than 600 accessions, thereby exceeding the 585 counted last year in Italy. The Secretariat said that the Italian validated actions and officially registered are more than 370, but many are still being validated. From this point of view, the organizers are very positive and they expect the boom of the arrival of membership cards around November, 1st, in a perfect Italian-style. Participating in a large number is important to spread what the "Week" wants to convey: “You can reduce waste, concretely and simply, by implementing daily measures" as stated in the last press release and as evidenced by the Web Video on YouTube and Facebook.

This spirit of sharing objectives led to plan new common actions across Europe. These initiatives cover several categories: reduction of waste from the food, reuse and repair, reduction of waste from packaging. Each of these actions involves the actual weighing of waste saved by acting as shown in data sheets: organizing a waste-free tea party, setting up sustainable canteens and collecting repair and recovery potential waste for other uses. In this way you can actually see how everyday actions can dramatically reduce the production of waste.

All those who want to keep themselves posted about the European Week for Waste Reduction developments can visit the official website and the Facebook page, with the linked event. Few days remain before the new deadline for joining the European Week for Waste Reduction. The Secretariat (segreteria@assaica.org) is ready to enlist anyone who wants to join in, associations, organizations, administrations, schools, businesses etc. Participation is open to all those who spread the waste reduction goal as the new war on waste. We therefore expect a lot of action accompanied by original and effective communication campaigns which will provide notice in future articles.

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Less waste and less plastic for all with the new Porta la Sporta initiatives for EWWR 2011

by Francesca Morra

We produce too much waste and of all types, but one of the most notable is plastic. It constitutes about 15% of the waste produced by an average Italian family although there are nearly 100 different types of plastics that can be differentiated in the same way. But above all we can reduce it down to 15 kg of plastic produced in less by adopting a number of simple tricks.

This is the main objective of the new initiative Meno Plastica: traguardo 15 kg in 7 mosse, which, together with two other initiatives, Mettila in rete and Sfida all'ultima Sporta, has been launched by Porta la Sporta at the door of the European Week for Waste Reduction - EWWR 2011 to be held in Europe 19 to 27 November 2011.

These three initiatives have been proposed to Italian local authorities through a capillary mailing. In addition, other actions can be taken by citizens themselves without external help such as drinking tap water or using the shopping bags instead of disposable bags every time of purchase. Other actions will require the intervention of production, retailers, neighborhood shops as well as appropriate legislation in order to make ​​available to citizens more opportunities to purchase in an environmentally friendly way.

Silvia Ricci, from Porta la Sporta, explains the difficulty of making clear to manufacturers, and particularly to distributors, the need to change and renew the product range of eco-friendly products such as detergents, "on tap" or bulk food, but also states that great improvements can be achievied in this area: “We shouldn’t forget that the mass distribution can produce big changes in the world of production since it can influence the upstream production, by putting some stakes, and at the same time can raise awareness and support the consumer to deal with change”.

The campaign tries to involve all the actors that can contribute to solve the serious problem of excessive waste production, in particular of plastics. The campaign extends particularly through an active website www.portalasporta.it, where they are explained in detail all the initiatives launched in order to participate to the EWWR 2011 or simply to help reducing waste, an issue now as important as urgent.

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Which means do we need for talking about waste in Europe?

by Giuseppe Totaro

The workshop “Environmental communication about waste in Europe: which means, which messages for which goals” will be held in Ravenna on September, 29. It has been organized by Consorzio Bacino Padova 2 in collaboration with AICA (International Environmental Communication Association). The initiative will take place in the home room of the “Ordine della casa Matha” (via Andrea Costa, 3), and it’s part of Ravenna 2011 festival on waste, energy and water policies.

The most effective ways of communicating about waste will be the principal matter of the meeting, holding the European Week for Waste Reduction as an example. During the last three years, EWWR has involved more than 1200 individuals and organizations, including national and international agencies, institutions, authorities, NGOs, schools, Universities, companies and firms.

The workshop will go through two different moments: the first one will be focused on EWWR experience and the impact of waste reduction in Italy. Andrea Atzori (Novambiente editor in chief) will moderate over a debate with Rosa Puig (AICA) and Gianluca Cencia (Federambiente CEO).

Later on, past EWWRs guests will report their experiences and accounts: Gallipoli Municipality (finalist at the European 2010 Prize for Public Administration), Pozzuoli 7th Didactic Circle (winner of the 2009 European Prize for schools), Apeiron Association (2010 finalist) and Mario Sunseri and Gigi Russo (organizers of the Busker Festival, appointed as an environmentally sustainable project).

Work will start at 9 a.m. with guests registration and will end at 1 p.m.

For further information please contact AICA by phone (0173-33777) or by e-mail segreteria@assaica.org.

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European Week for Waste Reduction 2011: in Italy subscriptions are open

by Silvia Musso

Last June 16th, the Steering Italian Committee launched with a press release the opening of the subscriptions to the third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction (19th al 27th November 2011).

«This year we decided to anticipate and open the enrollment two months earlier than in previous years - explains Roberto Cavallo, President of AICA, which like last year will follow the EWWR secretariat in Italy - The two previous editions have collected also in Italy a high number of actions and many successes at the level of media impact. This year will be the third and last edition of this project and we are very ambitious: we want non only to achieve the results of recent years, but to overcome them in order that the reduction of waste will become a common concept, comprehensible to all».

To promote the EWWR third edition in the best way during the next months the Committee will organise meetings, press conferences and media launchings.

Let’s note that the "Week" was established within the European Commission's LIFE + Programme with the primary aim to raise awareness of the institutions, stakeholders and consumers about all the strategies and policies for waste prevention implemented by the European Union that Member States must pursue, even in light of recent legislative provisions (the Waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC).

The aim of the Italian Committee is to encourage as many people as possible - national and local organizations and institutions, local authorities and public bodies, associations and nonprofit organizations, schools and universities, companies and enterprises, associations, etc. (the so called "Project Developer") - to set up initiatives and actions aimed at reducing waste at national and local levels on days 19 to 27 November 2011.


To participate to the "Week" as "Project Developer", you should submit your application to the National Committee by filling a participation form (the Registration Form), available at the following link http://www.ecodallecitta.it/menorifiuti/documenti.php. If applications meet the European standards, will be validated by the organizing committee and will receive the official designation of action for the European Week for Waste Reduction Kit and communication campaign and of course the possibility of using the EU logo of the "Week".

«The week will also see the involvement of individuals in the work of reducing waste - adds Paolo Hutter of Eco dalle Città, media partner of the EWWR. Also this year, in fact, www.menorifiuti.org collects the individual commitments through a bulletin board open to all comments where everyone can write their own commitment to reducing waste reduction in the Week or an experience that already practice every day».

More info are available on www.menorifiuti.org. Registration forms must be sent to: segreteria@assaica.org.

Come along!
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Real Nappy Week to share a secret

by Silvia Musso

In the first nine months of pregnancy before the happy event, future mothers imagine how their baby and what bright future awaits for them.

They probably do not pose the problem of the impact that their baby will have on the environment. A creature so small could ever produce much waste? Here's the answer: the disposable diapers can be up to 10% of municipal solid waste and their impact on the environment is high because they are not recyclable waste and take 500 years to break down completely, while the cloth diapers are reusable multiple times and for more than one child!

To avoid that every new birth brings with it a terrible ecological footprint Nonsolociripà was created. It is a group of parents from all over Italy who uses cloth diapers for their children and aims to spread, without any profit – they do not advertise any brand - the culture of reusable diapers both through direct contact and arranging meetings on the territory to share experiences and information, and through their website.

In the wake of events with similar names such as the European Week for Waste Reduction, and Italian Week of Reusable Bag, the group NonSoloCiripà will promote also in Italy the International Week of Cloth Diapers, Italian edition of Real Nappy Week, that will be held from 16 to May 22, 2011 all over the world.

To celebrate this campaign (the sixth international edition and the second Italian one) NonSoloCiripà is organizing several initiatives throughout Italy, through the network of so-called "voluntary ciripine” (from ciripà an ancient Italian word for the cloth diaper).

The theme of the 2011 edition is: SHARE THE SECRET! The existence of cloth diapers as an alternative to disposable it is almost unknown to many parents, or there are still a lot of cultural resistance (inherited from older generations) and many sanitation concerns over its use.

The Week promote this: to allow parents to discover the hidden virtues and the best tricks for using cloth diapers. The spread of this alternative to disposable diapers, it is advantageous from many points of view.

It is environmentally sustainable because less waste will end to landfills; it is economically sustainable both for families, as cloth diapers cost from 150 to 800 € from birth to potty, compared to € 1000 -3000 for disposable diapers, and for the public authorities who need to dispose a lower amount of municipal waste; it is sustainable under the medical and health aspect because the child's skin is in direct contact with breathable fabrics and absorbent, unlike disposable diapers containing various substances and synthetic chemicals (such as sodium polyacrilate discussed, pollutant TBT).

These and many other information that are against stupid stereotypes will be provided to interested citizens during the many events planned throughout the week and downloadable from the site. www.nonsolociripa.it.

Among the activities we remind the competition "Share the secret!" to which you can participate by expressing through art, photography, drawing, words, etc., the discovery and the meeting with the cloth diapers.

You can participate to the competition in two different ways: by publishing your works on the Association Facebook page or by e-mail by sending them at info@nonsolociripa.

The most voted work on Facebook page will to win a sticker for the car that makes everyone know that "there is a ciripino (baby wearing a cloth diaper) on board". The Jury Prize will instead be a wetbag. More...

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The winners of the second edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction

by Silvia Musso

It took place yesterday, March 28 at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, the Award Ceremony of the European Week for Waste Reduction. In recent weeks, a jury of experts evaluated the best waste reduction actions among the 4,231 recorded in the last 20 to 28 November.

Five actions have been awarded, one for each category of project developer: public administrations, associations and NGOs, businesses, schools and other institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.).

The jury’s work not have been easy, but at the end they came to a mutual agreement.

Here the winners:
Public Administration Category: Environmental Authority of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (Catalon Region) with “Better than New 100% Old campaign”;
Association and NGO Category: Ecoscience Provence (France) con l'azione “Responsibile Purchase”
Businnesses Category: Codorniu Group (Catalon Region) with “Reduction of glass in packaging in the wine sector”
Schools Category: St.mary Eps Scotland Dunblane (Scotland) with “Food Waste Reduction Challenge”
Other Category: architect Elisa Andretti (Malta) with “Malta Reuse MAp”
The Jury Prize was finally won by Aeress (Spain) with “Waste watchers”.
All winners were presented with a plaque with a high symbolic value.

The climate of the Ceremony was marked by a festive atmosphere and by the European secretariat members’ satisfaction.

If the award has led the conclusion of the second edition of the Week, it is not time to stop.

Today, Tuesday, March 29, in fact, the organizers of the States that participate to the EWWR shall meet to report the progress of the 2010 edition and especially to begin to lay the framework for what will be the third and final edition of the Week that we remember is a three-year Life+ project.

Waiting to see what the organizers have decided and what will be the news, save the dates of the next European Week for Waste Reduction: 19 to 27 November 2011! More...

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