The COLLECTORS consortium met for the first time in Treviso on 20 March 2018, hosted by Contarina S.p.A, the public waste management company of the province of Treviso. COLLECTORS’ partners focused their efforts on the first steps of the identification of good practices focusing on the three target waste streams: paper and packaging waste, WEEE, and construction and demolition waste.
The working sessions also involved external organisations, such as ten representatives of European local and regional authorities, as well as three external experts. They were involved in the consortium’s discussions regarding the selection of relevant information to be collected in order to document the good practices.
This meeting was followed by a public conference, which also gave the different experts the opportunity to share their view on how to adapt waste management practices to overcome local challenges and specific constraints. In particular, two round tables allowed the sharing of local practices. The first one focussed on local specificities (high density, tourism) and the second one addressed the necessity to reshape local instruments to boost stagnating recycling rates. Speakers mentioned several points: the importance of political will, quantitative targets, and cost control for enabling changes, tailor the key messages regarding waste management depending on the population interests, as well as the need for more exchanges between public authorities and the other players of the recycling value chain. The lack of local data on both the quality and the fate of sorted material was regarded as a barrier to improve local waste practices in a meaningful way.
The kick-off meeting was concluded by a study visit of Contarina’s treatment units, including their new facility that will be processing Absorbent Hygiene Products to allow the recovery of their different components.
The next COLLECTORS meeting will be held in Malta towards end September 2018.