European Commission

L I F E I I I

A cleaner, greener Europe

LIFE and the European Union waste policy

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Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004

ISBN 92-894-6018-0ISSN 1725-5619

© European Communities, 2004Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium

Printed on recycled paper

European Commission

LIFE FOCUS / A cleaner, greener Europe: LIFE and the European Union waste policy

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

2004 — 28 p. — 21 x 28 cm

ISBN 92-894-6018-0

European CommissionEnvironment Directorate-General

LIFE Focus is the six-monthly journal of the LIFE III programme (2000-2004).

LIFE (“The Financial Instrument for the Environment”) is a programme that was launched by the European Commissionand is coordinated by the Environment Directorate-General (LIFE Unit - BU-9 02/1).

The content of LIFE FOCUS does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the institutions of the European Union.

Editorial Department: SOGES/AEIDL a/s Jean-Pierre Vercruysse - Managing Editor: Bruno Julien, European Commission,Environment DG, LIFE Unit - BU-9 02/1, 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels - Journalism: Sophia Desillas - The followingpeople worked on this issue: Jean-Pierre Vercruysse, Claudia Pfirrmann, Nicolas Tavitian - Photos: LIFE projects -Production coordinator: Christine Charlier - Graphic design: Kaligram, Anita Cortés - This issue of LIFE FOCUSis published in English with a print-run of 3 820 copies.

Europe Direct is a service to help you find answersto your questions about the European UnionNew freephone number: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11

LIFE’s contribution to waste management in the EuropeanUnion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

The LIFE programme . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

LIFE-Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

European Union waste policy . . . p.3

EU Directives on waste . . . . . . . . . p.4

Other EU legislation on waste . . . . p.5

LIFE-Environment’s contribution towaste prevention and recycling . . p.7

Support for innovation: LIFE in action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.9

Nine examples of LIFE projects:

One-stop-shop: On-site constructionwaste management and recycling . . p.10

Using and... re-using fruit and vegetable packaging: An environmentally-friendly approach to a growing challenge in Europe . . p.12

“Clean, green” transport of commodities in Europe . . . . . . . . p.13

Cleaning up European seaports: A Belgian approach . . . . . . . . . . . p.14

Environmentally-friendly tourism and sea grass recycling . . . . . . . . p.15

Hidden strength: Waste-based reinforcing materials . . . . . . . . . . p.17

Hospital plastic waste recycling . . p.20

Re-use of second hand car compo-nents in company car fleets . . . . . p.21

Recycl: Domestic waste reduction,vocational training and job creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.23

As Europe has grown wealthier, we have consistently produced more and more

waste. In the European Union alone, we generate over 1.8 billion tonnes of solid

waste each year, an average of 3.8 tonnes per man, woman and child. Most of this

waste is either burnt in incinerators or dumped into landfills, which, if not properly

managed, can be harmful not only to the environment but also to human health, to

plants and animals.

Between 1990-1995, the amount of waste produced in Europe increased by 10%

and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) esti-

mates that by 2020 we could be generating as much as 45% more than in 1995.

Major work needs to be undertaken if we are to reduce this trend.

Indeed, the Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Union has iden-

tified waste prevention and management as one of four top priorities. The target is

to reduce the quantity of waste for final disposal by 20% in 2010 and by 50% in

2050. Moreover, waste prevention and recycling is one of the seven Thematic

Strategies or key environmental issues – soil protection, protection and conserva-

tion of the marine environment, sustainable use of pesticides, air pollution, urban

environment, sustainable use and management of resources and waste recycling

– to be tackled using a holistic approach.

The LIFE programme plays a key role in contributing to the development of inno-

vative waste prevention and management projects. Between 1996 and 2003, LIFE-

Environment funded 141 projects on different aspects of waste management and

prevention ranging from industrial waste on construction sites, to community

composting, to recycling of electronic and electrical waste.

This edition of LIFE FOCUS highlights 9 of the many innovative LIFE projects.

These projects are proof of the LIFE-Environment programme’s commitment to

foster and support fully the efforts of the European Community to reach the targets

set by the Sixth Environment Action Programme and make our world a healthier

place to live today and in the future.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 1

Marianne Klingbeil and her teamHead of Unit - Production,

Consumption & Waste

European Commission,

Environment Directorate-General

LIFE has been implemented in phases:EUR 400 million were allocated for thefirst phase (LIFE I, 1992-1995), approx-imately EUR 450 million were allocatedfor the second phase (LIFE II, 1996-1999), and the current phase, "LIFE III"(2000-2004) has a budget of EUR 640million. The programme finances threethematic areas for action:

> LIFE-Environment: provides supportfor the development of innovativetechniques and methods in industryand in the territories and for otheractions that contribute to policy de-velopment and Community legisla-tion, by co-financing demonstrationprojects.

> LIFE-Nature: provides funding forprojects contributing to the imple-mentation of Community nature protection legislation: the "Birds"Directive (79/409/EEC) and the "Ha-bitats" Directive (92/43/EEC) and inparticular the establishment of the"Natura 2000" network for the insitu management and conservationof Europe's most remarkable faunaand flora species and habitats.

> "LIFE-Third Countries: contributesto the establishment of capacitiesand administrative structures nee-ded in the environmental sector andin the development of environmentalpolicy and action programmes inthird countries bordering on the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seaother than central and east Europeanaccession candidate countries."

One of the priority areas of work inLIFE III is the management of wastefor the protection of the environment.Despite the numerous regulationsadopted over the last 25 years whichhave been transposed progressively inMember States (Directives on pack-aging waste and on management ofhazardous waste, for example), theamount of waste we produce in theEuropean Union continues to rise.This results in increasing pressure onthe environment. For this reason, inno-vative demonstration projects are cru-cial to identify good practices, launchnew recycling methods, raise aware-ness and encourage decision-makersto reform non-sustainable waste man-agement practices.

LIFE-Environment

The objective of LIFE-Environment isto contribute to the development ofinnovative and integrated techniquesand methods, further the developmentof Community environment policy andfoster sustainable development prac-tices. To achieve this objective, LIFEco-finances two different types ofdemonstration and preparatory proj-ects in the following subject areas:

> land use development and planning:to integrate considerations on theenvironment and on sustainable de-velopment in land-use developmentand planning, including in urban andcoastal areas;

> water management: to promote thesustainable management of ground-water and surface water;

> impacts of economic activities: to mi-nimise the environmental impacts ofeconomic activities, notably throughthe development of clean technolo-gies and by placing the emphasis onprevention, including the reductionof emission of gases having a green-house effect;

> waste management: to prevent, re-use, recover and recycle waste of allkinds and ensure the sound manage-ment of waste streams;

> integrated production policy: to re-duce the environmental impact ofproducts through an integrated ap-proach to production, distribution,consumption and handling at the endof their life-time, including the devel-opment of environmentally-friendlyproducts.

LIFE’s contribution to waste management in the European UnionThe LIFE programme, the Financial Instrument for the Environment, provides support for the

development and implementation of the Community environment policy.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 3

Despite the intensive efforts of somecountries to reduce the amounts ofwaste, the quantity of solid waste issignificantly increasing within the Euro-pean Union. Over 1.8 billion tonnes ofwaste are generated in Europe yearly,which amounts to 3.8 tonnes per/capita on average. Where municipalwaste is concerned, each EU citizenproduces an average of 550 kg peryear. Waste management is a complextask for local authorities and the pre-vention of waste generation is thusone of the biggest policy challenges.

In 2002 the EU adopted the SixthEnvironment Action Programme enti-tled: Environment 2010: Our future ourchoice. It sets out major priorities andobjectives for environmental policyover the next five to ten years.

The strategy of the EU to cope withwaste is to: > prevent waste in the first place; > recycle waste; > optimise the final disposal of waste.

The four main sources or generators ofwaste are the construction sector, min-ing and quarrying, industry and privatehouseholds.

Construction and demolition waste isthe largest single category of waste inEurope and accounts for about 34%of all waste generated. It may containdangerous substances, such asasbestos, which may be present insignificant proportions when old build-ings are demolished or renovated.Many components in this waste cate-gory are easily recyclable and havethe potential to replace up to 10% ofraw materials (Source: EEA, Europe’senvironment: the third assessment).Some EU countries such as Germany,Denmark, the Netherlands, haveachieved a recycling rate of up to 90%in this sector.

The second largest waste group ismining and quarrying waste, whichaccounts for 27% of the total waste.The disposal of mining waste can takeup large areas of land and, unlessproperly managed, can result in detri-mental impacts on air, water and soilquality. In response to the potentialrisks associated with poor waste man-agement in this sector, the EU has pro-posed initiatives designed to improvemining waste management.

The range of industrial waste gener-ated is as broad as the manufacturingindustries that produce it, and somedominant industries can have a stronginfluence on the composition of wastewhen treated or landfilled. In general,industrial waste consists of organicmaterials, wood, paper, chemicals,non-metallic minerals, basic metalsand other wastes.

Municipal waste accounts for approx-imately 16% of total waste produced inthe EU countries. In 1999, 57% of themunicipal solid waste was deposited inlandfills but the rates for compostingand recycling were on the rise.

Waste generated by the energy pro-duction sector depends on the fuelused. While hydroelectric and gas firedpower stations generate almost nosolid waste, large quantities of bottomash and fly ash are generated by coalfired power stations.

A limited number of economic sectorscontribute substantially to the genera-tion of hazardous waste (such as bat-teries, mercury, used oils, paint). TheBASEL Convention aims not only toreduce trans-boundary movements ofhazardous waste but also to minimiseits generation. According to figurespublished by OECD, hazardous wastegeneration appears to have increasedin several countries and now consti-tutes 1% of overall European wastegeneration.

European Union waste policy

The quantity of solid waste produced within the European Union is steadily on the rise. EU waste

policy provides a legislative framework to help Member States reduce and recycle waste and

create mechanisms for safer final disposal.

Figure 1: Contribution of different sectors to the total amount of wastegenerated in the EU (Source: EuropeanEnvironment Agency (EEA)) 1.

1 This breakdown does not include theagricultural sector, a main producer ofbiodegradable waste.

Waste generation by sector in EU countries

Constructionand

demolition34%

Mining and quarrying

27%

Industrial waste17%

Energy production4%

Not declared2%

Municipal waste16%

EU Directives on waste

In response to the growing challengesof waste production and manage-ment, the European Parliament andthe Council have adopted a certainnumber of Directives to ensure thatwaste is recovered or disposed ofwithout impairing the environment andhuman health. They are binding onMember States, while providingenough flexibility to enable MemberStates to implement the requirementswithin their own legal and administra-tive system.

The Waste Framework Directive(Council Directive 75/442/EEC onwaste, as amended by CouncilDirective 91/156/EEC)

The Waste Framework Directive setsout general principles, procedures andrequirements for legislation governingthe waste sector. It establishes aframework for waste managementacross the European Union.

The main objectives of the Directiveare to:

• call on Member States to take nec-essary measures to ensure thatwaste is recovered or disposedwithout risk to the air, water or soil,without creating a nuisance in theform of odours or noise, and with-out adversely affecting the land-scape;

• require Member States to establishan integrated waste managementstrategy based on the principlesstipulated in the Directive, includingclearly defined time scales andresponsibilities;

• require Member States to issue per-mits to companies engaged inwaste disposal or recovery. The per-mits must include requirementsregarding disposal techniques andmethods, sites, technical require-ments and security precautions;

• establish provisions for inspectionand monitoring of waste manage-ment in the Member States and setrequirements for reporting to theEuropean Commission and to thepublic.

The Directive lays out a waste man-agement hierarchy, the most desirableof which is waste prevention and min-imisation of waste generation. This isfollowed by (in descending order ofpriority):

• re-use of waste;

• recycling of waste;

• use of waste as a source of energy;

• incineration without energy recovery;

• landfilling.

Although landfilling is considered theleast desirable waste managementoption, it should be recognised thatthis practice may be a necessary com-ponent of waste management.

The European Union generates 1.8 billion tonnes of solid waste each year.

Other EU legislation on waste

The Waste Framework Directive pro-vides a planning and institutionalframework to guide the implementa-tion of waste sectoral regulatory instru-ments, which include:

• Waste Shipment Regulation (EEC)No 259/93;

• Hazardous Waste Directive91/689/EEC;

• Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC;

• Waste Incineration Directive2000/76/EC;

• Packaging and Packaging WasteDirective 94/62/EEC;

• Batteries Directive 91/157/EEC;

• End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) Direc-tive 2000/53/EC;

• Waste from Electrical and Elec-tronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive2002/96/EC.

In terms of ongoing LIFE projects, wewill discuss four Directives in moredetail:

Waste Incineration Directive (Directive 2000/76/EC of the Euro-pean Parliament and of the Council)

The Directive on the incineration ofwaste provides a single legislativeframework for the incineration and co-incineration of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

The Directive lays down extensive andcomprehensive requirements for per-mit procedures for incineration and co-incineration plants, technical and tech-nological requirements for incinerationfacilities, monitoring requirements andensuring public access to information.It also sets limit values for air and wateremissions from incineration and co-facilities in the respective annexes.

Member States were required to complywith the Directive by 28 December 2002.The Directive will apply to existing plantsas from 28 December 2005 and to newplants as of 28 December 2002.

Certain types of incineration and co-incineration plants are excluded fromthe scope of this Directive. Theseinclude facilities used exclusively fortreating animal waste, vegetable wastefrom agriculture and forestry, wastefrom vegetable processing if the heatgenerated is recovered, wood andcork waste and waste resulting fromoff-shore exploration of oil and gasresources.

Packaging Waste Directive (Council Directive 1994/62/EC)The Directive describes essentialrequirements packaging materialsmust meet to be placed on the market.One way to demonstrate complianceis through harmonized standards pre-pared by the European Committee forStandardization.

The Directive requires that all MemberStates take measures to prevent theaccumulation of packaging waste,which may include national pro-grammes and may encourage thereuse of packaging waste.

Further to the harmonisation of thestandards, a proposal for amendingthe Directive was adopted by theCommission. The most significantchanges concern the new targets tobe achieved by 30 June 2006:

• quantity of packaging waste to berecovered: minimum 60%, maxi-mum 75% by weight (currently50% to 60%);

• quantity of packaging waste to berecycled: minimum 55%, maxi-mum 70% by weight (currently25% to 45%);

• minimum recycling targets by ma-terials (by weight): 60% for glass,55% for paper and cardboard,50% for metals, 20% for plastics(currently each of them has a targetof 15%).

The amendment gives high priority toprevention, re-use and recycling ofpackaging waste whilst energy recov-ery is considered a least-worst option,preferable only to landfilling.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 5

Youngsters help the adults sort wastein their community, Lewisham, United Kingdom.

End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) Directive (Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council)

EU Member States must set up col-lection systems for end-of-life vehiclesand their used parts. They must alsoensure that all vehicles are transferredto authorised treatment facilities andset up a system for de-registrationupon presentation of a certificate ofdestruction. Such certificates are to beissued when the vehicle is transferredto a treatment facility.

The last holder of an end-of-life vehiclewill be able to dispose of it free ofcharge ("free take-back" principle).Producers are obliged to cover all, orat least a significant part, of the cost ofapplying this measure.

The prevention of waste is the mainobjective of the End-of-Life VehiclesDirective. To this end, it stipulates thatvehicle manufacturers and car-material and equipment manufactur-ers must:

• endeavour to reduce the use of haz-ardous substances when designingvehicles;

• design and produce vehicles whichfacilitate the dismantling, re-use, re-covery and recycling of end-of-lifevehicles;

• increase the use of recycled materialsin vehicle manufacturing;

• ensure that components of vehiclesplaced on the market after 1 July2003 do not contain mercury, hexa-valent chromium, cadmium or lead.

EU Member States were required toimplement the End-of-Life VehiclesDirective by 21 April 2002.

Waste Electronic and ElectricalEquipment (WEEE) (Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of theCouncil; Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council)

The objective of the WEEE Directive isto prevent the generation of electronicand electrical waste and to improvethe environmental performance of theoperators who are involved in thetreatment of this type of waste.

To achieve this, the Directive promotesthe recovery, recycling and re-use ofWEEE through the following:

• Member States are required to setup a system allowing final holdersand distributors of electrical and elec-tronic equipment to return theseitems free of charge;

• the producers of electrical and elec-tronic waste are required to put inplace waste treatment centres, in-cluding the selective treatment forcertain materials and components;

• producers are responsible for financ-ing the collection, treatment, recoveryand environmentally sound dispos-al of WEEE.

The Directive lays out a series of spe-cific targets for collection and recov-ery, re-use and recycling to be met by31 December 2006. New targets forrecovery, re-use and recycling will beestablished by 2008.

Information technology provides a useful tool for tracking

salvageable car parts.

The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive calls onthe automotive industry to produce carsthat are easy to dismantle, with easilyrecyclable parts.

This brochure presents a selection of9 projects which illustrate the excitingwork being done to reach the Euro-pean Union targets in the waste sec-tor and make our environment a saferand healthier one.

A major field

In the waste sector, the projects thathave received LIFE-Environmentfinancing from 1996-2003 can be bro-ken down into the subject areas illus-trated in Table 1.

As Table 1 illustrates, 141 projects outof 853 (16,5%) LIFE II and III projectsare related to one field of waste oranother. The total investment plannedby those projects (many are ongoing)is MEUR 279,415 for a Communitycontribution of MEUR 86,821 that is 31% on average. The "leverage"capacity of this type of project is espe-cially important, as EUR 1 invested bythe EU will be matched by over EUR 2from other private and public funds.

The management of industrial or otherspecial waste draws the highest num-ber of projects (26), which reflects thediversity of problems created bymany industrial processes. The sec-ond main field is that of biodegrad-able waste (20 projects), coveringprojects related to animal slurry,waste from forestry exploitation andagriculture, etc. Recycling of plasticand wrapping waste is the third majorfield of activity (18 projects) and workin this field has been growing steadilyin recent years.

It is noticeable that some fields suchas the management of householdwaste are decreasing in importancethrough the years, probably becausesolutions have been identified for themain problems. However new fieldsare emerging, such as the recycling ofWEEE (Waste Electronic and Electri-cal Equipment), with a first project justunderway on the recycling of disusedmobile phones, a new area with wasteproblems related to emerging tech-nologies.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 7

LIFE-Environment’s contribution to waste prevention and recycling

The LIFE programme supports actively the implementation of the waste Directives by co-financing

innovative projects that seek to make it easier for Member States to transpose these Directives

in the different contexts that contribute to the richness of the European Union.

Clearly identifiable containers help residents sort waste.

Recycling of packaging and wrappingwaste is the 3rd major field of LIFE projects.

Construction Projects related to 10 14,267,748.63 4,568,689.24and demolition construction and

demolition waste

Mining and Projects related to mining 8 16,973,581.26 7,295,638.00quarrying and quarrying

Industrial waste Management of industrial 26 46,905,641.12 12,054,101.39or other special waste

Treatment and recycling 5 9,704,417.91 2,272,811.94of metallurgical industry

Management of liquid residuals 3 9,257,786.84 1,497,687.89(in vehicles maintenance)

Municipal waste Projects related to 20 34,588,698.81 8,853,816.78biodegradable waste

Recycling of plastics 18 59,567,422.52 14,544,483.99and wrapping waste

Management of 11 27,595,457.60 5,882,041.48household waste

Projects related to 9 12,462,894.24 4,061,932.00landfills/leachate

Projects related to 7 17,781,978.97 4,225,395.20treatment of sludge

Energy Incineration related projects 6 9,937,588.63 3,032,368.24production

Treatment and recycling 5 8,606,358.57 1,935,519.72of hazardous waste

Miscellaneous Recycling of WEEEs 6 8,428,848.21 3,410,786.88

Recycling of car parts 4 14,946,431.06 2,032,526.60

Recycling of batteries 3 6,674,669.43 1,474,758.44

Total 141 279,415,221.97 86,820,501.05

Average 1,981,668.24 615,748.23

Waste sector Breakdown of Number of Total cost of Total projects 1996-2003 projects financed funding Community

in EUR funding in EUR

Table 1: Waste management projects financed by LIFE-Environment from 1996-2003

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 9

Support for innovation: LIFE in action

One of the key roles of LIFE is to sup-port innovative initiatives that aim tofacilitate the effective implementationand enforcement of environmentallegislation in all EU countries. Thisbrochure presents a selection of 9ground breaking projects that offereconomically viable, sustainable andtransferable solutions to today’s envi-ronmental challenges:

> In France (p.10), a large construc-tion company developed an effect-ive on-site waste management andrecycling system that includes train-ing for workers. This system, pilottested on 15 different constructionsites, reduced the quantity of on-sitewaste produced by 3 times, and thecost of waste disposal by 50%.

> In Italy (p.12), a group of fruit andvegetable producers formed aconsortium to find a solution to thefast-growing problem of packagingwaste. The consortium created acomprehensive system which in-cludes the production of recyclablecrates and boxes, setting up pro-cessing centres throughout Europefor cleaning and recycling the boxes,

and an electronic network to tracktheir movement and status.

> In Sweden (p.13), Svenska Retur-system further developed theconcept of recyclable packaging bycreating an integrated logistics sys-tem that works for not only trans-porting produce, but also for othercommodities such as dairy products,meat and poultry.

> In Belgium (p.14), the port authori-ty of Antwerp developed an inte-grated monitoring and managementtool for seaport waste managementbased on an electronic mapping sys-tem that monitors waste flows in Bel-gian ports throughout each phase ofport and port related activities.

> In Germany (p.15), a company spe-cialising in the transformation ofwaste raw materials into new pro-ducts, has found a way to clean Europe’s beaches by collecting theflotsam and jetsam along the coastof Denmark and transforming it intonatural products such as pouredheat insulation. The company worksin partnership with research and regional technology institutions, tou-rism associations and SMEs throu-ghout the European Union.

> In Italy (p.17), an SME specialisingin research and development for in-novative environmental technologiesdesigned waste-based reinforce-ment materials (WBRM), a processwhich transforms the fine fly ash pro-duced in the waste incineration pro-cess from a toxic substance into apowerful reinforcing material for tex-tiles, cement and plastic products.

> In Finland (p.20), Tampere UniversityHospital created the first model inthe country for recycling plastic usedin hospitals, in collaboration with 3other hospitals in the country, a re-gional solid waste managementcompany and with experts from theplastics industry.

> In the Netherlands (p.21), AchmeaSchadeService, the country’s largestinsurance company, set up “greenrepair”, a second hand car compo-nent and logistics system to mana-ge the handling and availability ofused car parts and quality insuran-ce while decreasing the volume ofwaste from end-of-life vehicles.

> In Belgium (p.23), the Ministry of theGerman-speaking Community, inpartnership with a group of charitableassociations, developed a networkto create a more cost-effective bulky household waste disposal sys-tem in the region. The project alsoprovided a social service for youth,the handicapped and the unem-ployed, and created an opportunity forthe disadvantaged members of thecommunity to purchase good quali-ty second-hand items at minimal cost.

The diversity of projects illustrates therange of problems that the LIFE wasteprojects are attempting to resolve withinnovative and creative solutions.Although the policy component of EUintervention is essential, it must becomplemented by support to newideas and initiatives.

These projects have been selectedbecause they present real innovations.Moreover they take into account notonly the environment, but other facetsof sustainability such as economiccompetitivity or social issues. In thisway, they are contributing to the dura-bility of the European model of devel-opment.

Seaweed cleared from beaches is transformed into heat insulation.

In France, the building and publicworks sectors generate approximately24 million tonnes of waste each year,somewhat more than the amount ofwaste generated by households. Theenvironmental problems posed bythese large amounts of waste andhazardous components are generallynot given enough consideration.

Faced with the problem of how tosafely dispose of the large volumes ofwaste generated in the constructionsector, Giraud S.A., a French com-pany specialising in the constructionof building foundations, decided totake action and find a sustainablesolution to manage and reduce thewaste produced on-site.

In partnership with an environmentalstudies office (IDE Environment), asocial economy company (CISAME)and an Internet site developmentcompany (HORUS), Giraud selected15 construction sites to test differentwaste management methods. Activi-ties at each site included carrying outan evaluation of the quantity of wasteproduced, training for staff and follow-up of waste produced. The results ofthe activities at the 15 test sites would

be used to produce a reference man-ual on good on-site waste manage-ment practices to maximise recyclingand improve the sorting of specialwaste – such as timber, window grates,cables, core iron, inert materials – tothe appropriate disposal facilities.

The project programme, which ranfrom 1 October 1998 to 1 April 2002,was thus based on three components.The first centred on training. Thisinvolved the production of a trainingmanual for the construction site wastemanagement trade. This documentdescribed the post profile, competen-cies and aptitudes required for assur-ing the correct sorting and recupera-tion of construction site waste and atraining programme.

The second component comprisedthe organisation of the 15 pilot sites,including construction, rehabilitation,housing, expansion and demolitionsites. Each site underwent:

> a preliminary audit;

> was assigned a selection of exter-nal service providers to carry out themanagement activities;

> received information and awareness-raising activities for the constructionsite staff.

Sorting at the construction site wascarried out according to differentmethods depending on the functionand scope of the construction site.

One-stop shop: On-site construction waste management andrecycling

Faced with the challenge of environmentally safe disposal of waste generated on construction

sites, a French construction company took matters in hand and created an effective on-site

waste management and recycling system.

Smaller containers for sorting differenttypes of hazardous and electricalwastes.

Construction workers receive on-sitewaste management training.

Large containers facilitate sorting ofspecial waste such as timber, windowgrates, cables and iron.

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These included:

> sorting by the construction workers;

> sorting by a designated person fromthe site or by an external party;

> installation of an on-site mini-wastedisposal unit, etc.

Finally, regular follow up and controlchecks were carried out for the dura-tion of the project.

The third part of the programme cen-tred on the production of a practical,operational methodological manualentitled “Good practices for wastemanagement on construction sites”(http://www.giraudbtp.com/life/gb/CADREprinc.htm).

This manual provides guidance on:

> distinguishing the different kinds ofwaste;

> waste management;

> waste management follow-up;

> verification of good waste management.

Upon completion of the project,Giraud carried out a technical reviewof the experiences on each of theconstruction sites. The main findingswere that the quantity of waste pro-duced by industrial building construc-tion sites can be reduced by 3 times;recycling of materials can only be car-ried out on the premises of large con-struction sites; special waste (such astimber, window grates, cables, coreiron, inert materials) can be sorted inlarge quantities.

In terms of the environmental benefitsof the project based on the experi-ences of the 15 construction sites, theresults were resoundingly positive.The new measures put in placeaccording to the project guidelines cutthe cost of waste disposal by 50%, amodest savings of 0.5% on the over-all cost for the construction sites.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 11

Reference: LIFE98 ENV/F/301Total eligible cost: EUR 1,026,472.56 LIFE contribution: EUR 307,941.77 Beneficiary: Giraud S.A.

Contact: M. Berengue Tel.: +33 5 62 88 11 84Fax: +33 5 62 88 31 84E-mail: giraudmp@wanado.frWebsite: www.giraudbtp.com

Duration: from 1 October 1998 to 1 April 2002.

EU legislative reference: Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC; COM (1996) 399 Final - Communication on an updated "Community strategy for waste management"; Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC.

The pilot sites proved that the quantityof construction site waste can bereduced by 3 times.

Each site underwent a preliminary audit and was assigned a team of

external service providers to carry outthe management activities.

Each year, Europe produces approxi-mately 7 million tonnes of waste gen-erated by packaging for transportingfruit and vegetables. This meansmountains of crates, plastic, boxes,trays, padded sheets, and variousother types and shapes of containersare generated, with a disposal cost ofapproximately EUR 0,09 per kilo, orEUR 630 million per year.

There are two main reasons for thelarge amounts of waste and high dis-posal costs in this sector. First of all,the packaging materials vary a greatdeal in composition and secondly,most of the packaging materials areproduced on a throwaway principle.

In Italy, which produces approximately2,5 of the 7 million tonnes of packagingwaste, a group of fruit and vegetableproducers formed a consortium to finda solution to this problem, which wasnot only growing in scope, but was alsoincreasing costs for consumers.

The consortium developed a compre-hensive system that tackled the pack-aging waste problem from threeangles. First, they produced specialrecyclable boxes, which can be folded

and re-used for up to 30 round-tripjourneys; secondly, they set up “pro-cessing centres” in Italy and through-out Europe for the re-use, sanitationand recycling of the boxes. The thirdpart of the system involved the cre-ation of a computer network to tracksystematically the movement of theboxes at all stages. The computertracking system provides an effectivesupport tool for the processing cen-tres, whose job it is to keep an up todate record of the status of each box(empty, filled, clean, or dirty), its posi-tion and location (waiting to be filled,with the distributor, on the road, etc.).

So how does the CPR system actuallywork? The Consortium purchases thespecial boxes and then rents them toparticipants in the scheme. The emptyboxes are then filled by the fruit andvegetable producers, and delivered toretail markets. After use, the marketoperators send the empty boxes backto the fruit and vegetable producers,and when the boxes become dirty fromrepeated use, the producers send themto the processing centre for cleaningand recycling the boxes and then sendthem back to the producers…

When the project began in November1999, there were 47 stakeholders, andby the close of the project in May2002, this number had increased to355, with 3,100,000 boxes in circula-tion. Each box was re-used on approx-imately 30 round-trip journeys and thewaste produced by packaging wasreduced dramatically.

The success of the CPR system ledthe members of the cooperative tocreate “Sistema Italia per l’Europa”.Sistema is part of CPR, yet is notrestricted to the produce sector andcan be applied to any business wherepackaging is required.

Using and… re-using fruit and vegetable packaging: An environmentally-friendly approach to a growing challenge in Europe

A group of fruit and vegetable producers in Italy joined forces and created the “CPR system” to

decrease the waste generated by fruit and vegetable packaging and reduce consumer prices.

LIFE-Environment project in Italy

Reference: LIFE 99 ENV/IT/000034Total eligible cost: EUR 1,220,645.88LIFE contribution: EUR 610,322.94Beneficiary: CPR System

Contact: Marco SalviTel.: +39 0532 904 511Fax: +39 0532 904 520E-mail: cprsystem@csoservizi.comWebsite: www.cprsystem.it

Duration: from 25 November 1999 to 25 May 2002.EU legislative reference: Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EEC.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 13

Each year, approximately 280 millionpallets transport 8 billion crates ofgoods to 250 000 commodity storesthroughout Europe. As with fresh fruitand vegetable produce, the palletsand crates for meat, poultry, and dairyproducts are usually thrown awayafter each use. These discardedcrates and pallets are a growing bur-den in landfills and incineration plants.Currently there are no common stan-dards for the transport of produce,thus each business or manufacturerruns its own system. According tothese businesses and manufacturers,problems in the Reusable TransportItems (RTI) can be attributed to a con-siderable waste of transport capacity,complex logistics caused by the needto transport empty cases, and the per-sistence of different standards.

Svenska Retursystem, a Swedishnon-profit association for grocerymanufacturers, developed a plan toreplace the total flow of non-reusablecrates and pallets. The objective wasto carry out a full-scale pilot projectand evaluation of the functionality andefficacy of the Svenska system forreusable transport items. This pilotproject would run for two years in theSkåne area of southern Sweden and

in the Stockholm region. Their targetwas to decrease packaging waste by 25% or 28 000 tonnes annually andreduce empty lorry return trips by 260 000 kilometres per year.

And they succeeded: Svenska Retur-system developed pallets and cratesin different sizes to accommodate avariety of every day commodities(fresh produce, meat and poultry,cheeses and other dairy products).Made of polythene, a durable, solidmaterial, the crates and pallets have a long life cycle – the crates last for approximately 10 years and thepallets for about 15 – and can be re-used hundreds of times before beingrecycled. To date, 1,753,000 cratesand pallets are already in circulation.In addition, these sturdy crates andpallets reduce the incidence of dam-aged goods.

Svenska Retursystem also includestwo washing facilities – one in Skåneand one in the Stockholm area –where the RTIs pallets and crates arewashed. The system is comple-mented by an electronic logistics sys-tem connecting producers, manufac-turers, wholesalers and retailers ofdaily commodities.

Svenska met their goals and their suc-cess continues:

> In the Skåne area, the RTI systemhas been operational since 2001 andwas initially used mainly in the fruitand vegetable sectors. Wholesalersand distributors of canned beerjoined in later on.

> The system established in the Stock-holm area duplicated the first one inSkåne and added to its clients meatand poultry distributors as well asdairy product distributors.

The system is transferable to nationalsupply chains in Europe, and worksefficiently in both densely and sparselypopulated areas… and is on its way toa local store near you…

“Clean, green” transport of commodities in Europe

Two years after the CPR system was developed, the Svenska Retursystem AB, Sweden, took the

challenge of reducing packaging waste a step further and created an integrated logistics system

not only for transporting produce, but for meat and poultry, dairy products and other everyday

commodities.

LIFE-Environment project in Sweden

Pallets and crates in different sizesaccommodate a variety of everydaycommodities.

Reference: LIFE 00 ENV/S/000867Total eligible cost: EUR 6,144,344LIFE contribution: EUR 1,843,303Beneficiary: Svenska Retursystem AB (SRS)

Contact: Tore StridTel.: +46 (0) 8 728 51 60Fax: +46 (0) 8 728 51 69E-mail: info@retursystem.seWebsite: www.retursystem.se

Duration: from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2002.EU legislative reference: Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EEC.

Welcoming sailors, tourists and exoticcommerce from other lands, seaportshave long been linked to adventureand mystery. However the continuousactivity and influx of ships – particularlythat of cargo ships – leads to increas-ingly high volumes of waste which, ifnot carefully managed, can cause sig-nificant damage to the environment.Moreover, in keeping with EC Directive2000/59/EC on port reception facilitiesfor ship-generated waste and cargoresidues, which identifies what kindsof waste can be disposed of at seaand what must be discharged at har-bour facilities, the waste generated inEuropean seaports is expected to rise.

In response to this challenge, the portauthority Antwerp Port Engineering andConsulting (APEC), decided that a solu-tion must be found to manage the grow-ing quantities of waste generated byport and port related activities such aswarehousing, stevedoring and cargohandling. APEC wanted to find a solu-tion not only for the Antwerp Port, but apractical tool for seaport waste man-agement that could be successfullyapplied to ports throughout Europe. Thisgoal led to the creation of "Ecoware", anintegrated waste monitoring and man-agement system.

The Ecoware project, which began inSeptember 1998 and ran through July2000, involved the development of anelectronic mapping system to monitorthe waste flows in Belgian portsthroughout each phase of port andport related activities. A web basedversion of the programme maps allwaste related activities and makes iteasy for all parties involved – fromships and shipping agents to portauthorities, waste treatment plants andregional waste authorities – to be noti-fied of all routing and logistics and, forinstance, incoming waste from a ship.

Training was provided for port staff toensure the most efficient and effectiveuse of the new system, including pre-sentations and a handbook. This wasnot only a practical exercise, but alsohelped to build a sense of ownershipamong the staff in keeping the seaportclean and contributing to a cleaner,safer environment.

This multi-dimensional project broughttogether a variety of partners in thefields of computer technology andtelecommunications, management andtraining and all contributed towards itssuccess.

Finally, APEC presented the Ecowaresystem to 10 other European sea-ports, waste contractors and shipowners.

But the work is not over. Now that theyhave introduced a successful wastemonitoring and management system,APEC has set its sights on developinga strategy to minimise bottlenecks atport disposal facilities and an efficientrecycling and recovery programme.

Reference: LIFE 98 ENV/B/000254Total eligible cost: EUR 1,336,420 LIFE contribution: EUR 646,079 Beneficiary: Antwerp Port Engineering and Consulting (APEC), Italiëlei 2,2000 – Antwerpen (BE)

Contact: Gert Thues, Guido Van Meel Tel.: +32 3 205 23 24Fax: +32 3 205 23 27E-mail: Apec@haven.antwerpen.beWebsite: www.ecoware.org

Duration: from 1 September 1998 to 1 July 2000.EU legislative reference: Port Infrastructure Directive 2000/59/EC – Facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues

LIFE-Environment project in Belgium

Cleaning up European seaports: A Belgian approach

Antwerp, Europe's second largest seaport, decided to take waste matters in hand and not only

clean up the local port, but bring its success to other European waters.

Antwerp Port, Belgium.

“Each year, more and more touristshead for the beach at the first rays ofsunshine. These tourists boost thelocal economy, however, it’s becom-ing increasingly difficult to manage thewaste produced by vacationers. It’salso becoming more and more difficultto clear the beaches of flotsam andjetsam, or seaweed and algae, thenatural "waste" that washes continu-ally ashore. This natural waste can bevery off-putting for beach-goers; noone likes to go for a swim and get tan-gled up in clinging masses of sea-weed.

In the past, we used to deposit jetsamin waste dumps. But the new ECguidelines on environmental protec-tion prohibit this practice because therotting processes of the flotsam andjetsam cause the emission of carbondioxides in to the atmosphere.

The Danish island of Moen is one ofmany coastal areas in Europe facingthe problem of how to dispose of thisnatural waste in an ecologically safeway. The Municipality knew they hadto find an answer, so they launched asearch for partners to help them comeup with an ecologically conscioussolution.

Our company had already worked onthis problem; in fact, we had devel-oped a system to recycle the surplussea grass and algae and boost Envi-ronmentally-friendly tourism at thesame time by keeping the beach cleanand inviting for vacationers. Our sys-tem had already proved effective inMecklenburg-Vorpommern.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 15

Environmentally-friendly tourism and sea grass recycling

The growing number of tourists on Europe's beaches can boost the local economy. However,

coastline communities are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their beaches clean - not only of

man-made waste, but also of natural waste such as sea grass and algae. The LIFE beneficiary

Kluetzer Winkel, on the Baltic Sea in Germany has found a way to recycle this natural waste and

keep European coastlines clean. Bernd Anders, co-ordinator of the project, tells us how.

LIFE-Environment project in Germany

Clearing the coast of organic waste,Island of Moen, Denmark.

Preparing organic waste for transformation into a range of natural products.

What we do is collect the flotsam andjetsam and transform it into naturalproducts such as poured heat insula-tion, heat insulation mats and erosionprotection mats. Seaweed pellets areanother useful product made from thewaste. These are used in animalhygiene and as an oil-binding agentor as a poured floor equaliser, forexample.

We work closely with Metall-und Anla-genbau Ltd, who help to recycle theseaweed and algae into the heatinginsulation product now known asZostera-Dämm.

The success on the Danish coast isjust the beginning. The Aquitaine inFrance is using the same system…The challenge now is to get othercoastal communities to join the part-nership for cleaning up Europe'sbeaches”.

Reference: LIFE 00/ENV/D/000312Total eligible cost: EUR 3,629,722 LIFE contribution: EUR 1,814, 861.00 Beneficiary: Amt Kluetzer Winkel

Contact: Bernd Anders Tel.: +49 3 8825 393 11 Fax: +49 3 8825 9064E-mail: b.anders@kluetzer-winkel.deWebsite: www.life-seegras.de

Duration: from 15 November 1999 to 31 December 2003.

EU legislative reference: Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC

Zostera-Dämm is a heating insulationproduct made of seaweed and algae.

Insulation mats are one example of the many transformations of flotsam and jetsam.

Fly ash, produced from municipalwaste incineration, is one of the finest,lightest residues produced in thewaste incineration process, and is col-lected in many plants using a filtrationsystem. Once collected, it is usuallydeposited at the nearest neutralisationtreatment centre. In Europe, approxi-mately 1 500 000 tonnes of fly ash areproduced per annum. The cost of itsdisposal in Europe varies from EUR150 to EUR 500 per tonne.

A highly soluble and reactive coalcombustion by-product, fly ash con-tains significant quantities of heavymetals (including zinc, lead, cad-mium, chromium). These heavy met-als are often present in the form ofanionic salts (chlorides and sul-phates) and the alkaline anionic saltsare one of the main components ofthis waste (up to 25% of chlorine insome samples).

Within this inorganic fraction of thesubstance, which is very variable incomposition, there is an organic frac-tion, which is relatively rich inunburned elements, in aromatic com-pounds and often also rich in dioxinsand furans.

It is very difficult to stabilise this wasteefficiently: the presence of a relevantwater soluble fraction requires a pre-liminary washing treatment to removethe anionic salts, followed by mixingwith hydraulic binders and complex-ing agents to fix the heavy metals. Thefly ash washing water is heavily pol-luted and requires a complicatedwater purification treatment. Usually,the organic fraction of incineratorashes does not undergo a specificstabilisation treatment; it is simplyblocked physically by the hydraulicbinders, therefore creating potentialrisks with successive sublimation.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 17

Fly ash is transformed into glass fibers to reinforce textiles,

cement and plastic products.

Fly ash from municipal solid wasteincinerators is filtered and transformedinto a powerful reinforcing substance.

Hidden strength: Waste-based reinforcing materials

Contento Trade, an SME specialising in research and development for innovative environment

strategies, devised a process to transform the fine fly ash produced in the waste incineration

process into a powerful reinforcing substance for textiles, cement and plastic products.

LIFE-Environment project in Italy

Waste-based reinforcementmaterials: A viable solution

Contento Trade, an Italian SME special-ising in research and development forinnovative environment strategies,devised a process, known as waste-based reinforcement materials (WBRM),to transform the fine fly ash produced inthe waste incineration process into apowerful reinforcing substance for tex-tiles, cement and plastic products.

WBRM uses alkaline metals andheavy metals present in the ashes toaccelerate the melting process of theglass mass and reduce the silicatesoftening points that comprise themain constituents of the substance.Using this process it is possible toobtain up to 2,5 kg of glass – depend-ing on the chemical characteristics ofthe used ashes – from 1 kg of fly ash.

The glass produced using the WBRMprocess is elastic, viscous and plastic.These characteristics can be opti-mised by adding small quantities ofmelting elements traditionally used inthe glass industry (such as carbon-ates), which render the compoundeasily spinnable at the plants used forthe production of conventional glassfibers (such as E glass fibers, C glassfibers, or basaltic fibers) used all overthe world in different industrial prod-ucts and processes. The physicalchemical characteristics of the derivedWBRM fibers are similar in appearanceto conventional E glass produced fromtraditional raw materials.

The chemical characteristics ofWBRM fibers boast a higher resist-ance to alkaline aggressions than E glass fibers, even if they do notreach the stability of the glass fibersmade with zirconium oxide.

Economic advantages

Over 88% of the materials used in theWBRM process is comprised of thefollowing kinds of waste:

> fly ashes from municipal solid wasteincinerators;

> coal combustion ashes;

> boiler slag (ashes) from municipalsolid waste incinerators;

> foundry sands.

This process guarantees consistentsavings on the purchasing costs ofraw materials, which are high for theE glass fibers. In addition, the initialphase of melting waste glass requiresmuch lower temperatures and refin-ing time than for traditional E glass.

This results in a constant economicaland energy savings. Estimates showthat a standard unit with the capacityto treat 15 000 tonnes per year ofmaterial costs about EUR 3.5 million.

Environmental advantages

The process re-uses wastes almostentirely, rather than raw materials, andhas a limited impact on the environ-ment because it involves:

> a minimal production of process sol-id waste (less than 1% of the quan-tity of treated wastes);

> an absence of solid and liquidwastes;

> a minimal production of fumes, whichcan be absorbed completely by thefumes abatement systems of theguest incinerator (compared to theincinerator fumes, they represent aminimum quantity - less than 1%).

WBRM fibers are valuable because theheavy metals contained in them arestabilised. Moreover high temperaturetreatments, combined with suitableplanting solutions, assure the WBRMprocess a complete elimination of theorganic polluting agents from thefumes that are transported to high effi-ciency fume abatement plants.

The WBRM process has a limitedimpact on the environment.

Fly ash being spun into glass fibers.

Aside from the glass and the fibersproduced, WBRM also produces amixture of purified salts (calcium,sodium and potassium chlorides)which can be used as de-icing saltsfor use on roads. These salts, whichrepresent 20-40% of the mass of thetreated ashes that lack heavy metals,are an excellent alternative to calciumand sodium chlorides normally usedon roads to avoid accidents causedby ice. The WBRM process makesthe best use of all the ash constituentsand presents a viable alternative todisposal.

Conceptually, WBRM provides anextremely efficient neutralisation sys-tem for the ashes because both theglass and the fibers derived containrelevant quantities of heavy metals(lead, zinc, chromium, copper, cad-mium, nickel, cobalt, etc.) strictlylinked in a glassy silicates reticule. Ina single passage, over 80% of theheavy metals of the basic wastes mix-tures is fixed in the glassy structure ofthe fiber, while the remaining part isremoved with the fumes and the col-lection from the fumes abatement sys-tems and becomes again part of thefly ashes and so is re-circulating insidethe treatment plant.

The evaluation on the complete lifecycle of the WBRM products showedinteresting environmental advantagesin terms of reduction of raw materialsuse and energy consumption, andqualifies this process as cleaner technology.

How can WBRM be used?

WBRM has many uses. In the Euro-pean glass fibers market in 2000,about 700 000 tonnes of reinforcingglassy materials were produced, equalto 28% of the whole world production(96-98% of the whole world market ofthe reinforcing fibers is represented byE glass fibers).

The main user of glass fibers is the tex-tiles and non woven fabrics industry,followed by the composite materialsector, the thermal insulation sector,industrial mufflers, filters, etc. Analysisshows that the thermal properties ofWBRM fibers are exactly like those ofthe E glass fibers.

Another area where WBRM makes asignificant contribution is in thecement industry. The ordinary cementconglomerate usually has a limitedresistance to tensile stress. AddingWBRM to concrete makes it stronger,more durable and less permeable. It isalso an important ingredient to reducecracks; the fibers, particularly metallicones, are used to intercept the cracksthat occur in the post-breaking phase.

Also significant in the European glassfibers market are fibroreinforced bitu-minous materials, used primarily toimprove the resistance to tensilestress (for example in waterproofsheaths). The fibrous support (nonwoven fabric) is fundamental for thesheaths industrial production becausethis is the basic layer on which the

sheaths are “built” (thanks to manyimpregnation passages and deposi-tion with bitumen and other compo-nents). In this sector the most usedfiber is polyester, covering 80-85% ofthe market, while the E glass fiber cov-ers 15-20%. The main limiting factorwith E fibers is their cost, which isapproximately double that of polyesterfibers. The availability of low costglass fibers (as WBRM fibers) couldaugment significantly their market inthis sector, which amount to 2 500tonnes per year in Italy alone.

Conserving natural resources

Production and use of waste basedreinforcement materials helps con-serve the earth’s primary mineralresources, provides valuable rawmaterials and reduces the disposalcosts of fly ash. Moreover, the processcan be adapted to different countriesand settings.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 19

The glass fibers produced from fly ash are similar to conventional glassproduced from traditional rawmaterials.

Like E glass

Like C glassLike Alkali Resist. glass

Reference: LIFE 98 ENV/IT/000132Total eligible cost: EUR 1,248,808.39LIFE contribution: EUR 374,642.52Beneficiary: Contento Trade S.r.l.

Contact: Flavio CioffiTel.: +39 0432 662555 E-mail: contento@ud.nettuno.itWebsite: www.contentotrade.com

Duration: from 1 October 1998 to 31 December 2001.EU legislative reference: Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC; Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC; Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive 1996/61/EC

Reference: LIFE 98 ENV/FIN/000577Total eligible cost: EUR 300,532.92LIFE contribution: EUR 150,261.96Beneficiary: Tampere University Hospital

Contact: Kari Sorola Tel.: +358 3 247 53 52 Fax: +358 3 247 55 48 E-mail: ksorola@tays.fiWebsite: www.pshp.fi/waste

Duration: from 1 September 1998 to 1 September 2001.EU legislative reference: Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EEC;Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC - Waste Incineration Directive2000/76/EC. Landfill of Waste Directive 1999/31/EC

Plastic waste generated in hospitalsaccounts for approximately 5.4-8 kgwaste per bed daily throughoutEurope. Unfortunately, while many ofthese materials can be recycled, mis-perceptions and prejudices associatedwith plastic used in hospitals meanthat these valuable resources are mostoften dumped at the nearest landfill,compounding the already high vol-umes of waste in our environment.

In fact, the amount of plastic used inthe health sector is on the rise, as isthe demand for high quality plastics.The staff at Tampere University hospi-tal in Finland identified a lack of recy-cling models to provide guidance inthis area, and decided to create a setof guidelines for recycling hospitalplastic in cooperation with specialistsin the field of plastics and logistics.These guidelines would centre on thefeatures particular to hospital plasticwaste (such as its highly variable com-position). The recycled plastic wouldfeed back into the materials produc-tion chain, thus reducing the amountof waste produced and the burden onlandfills and on the environment.

The team enlisted the collaboration ofHelsinki University Central Hospital,Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, KuopioUniversity Hospital, Tampere RegionalSolid Waste Management Ltd., plus ateam of experts in the plastics industry.

As a first step, the quality and quantityof plastic waste produced within theparticipating hospitals was analysed,breaking it down by type of plastic andtype of product. After that the collec-tion and processing was carried outwith the help of guidelines on separa-tion and collection of the plastic waste.

One of the innovative features of theproject involved identifying whichproducts are suitable for recycling.Potential re-users are small-andmedium-sized plastics companies.

On completion of the project, theresults revealed that approximately 71% of all hospital plastic waste issuitable for recycling, despite the factthat the hospitals use hundreds of dif-ferent plastic products made of widely

varying chemical compounds. Anotherimportant finding was that the impuri-ties leading to possible risks, infec-tions, etc. upon waste collection arerather small.

The project classified plastic waste infour categories:

> “Clean” plastics (no contact with pa-tients or patient secretions): no treat-ment is necessary, the material canbe recycled as is.

> Plastics with impurities (either fromfood colouring or from use in patientcare such as protective gloves andintravenous sets and other dispos-able medical care equipment): mustbe rinsed before recycling to removeimpurities.

> Plastics that have become contam-inated with patients’ microbes car-rying a possible risk of infection (suchas petri dishes): must be disinfectedor put through the autoclave.

> Plastics that have become infectedwith microbes that carry a high rateof infection: all implements andequipment used to treat patients withinfectious diseases must be disin-fected and treated separately beforebeing removed from the hospitalpremises.

Hospital plastic waste recycling

Finland’s Tampere University Hospital developed a methodological model for sorting and

recycling plastic waste in the health services sector.

LIFE-Environment project in Finland

Skilled automotive technicians replacedamaged car parts with high qualitysecond-hand car parts.

Achmea Parts Service stocks top quality used car parts.

Achmea works in partnership with skilled auto mechanics

and repair shops.

A strong logistics system makes it possible to track replacement

parts within one hour.

Damaged cars and end-of-life vehicles(ELVs) generate between 8 to 9 milliontonnes of waste in Europe every year,made up of ferro and non-ferro met-als, plastic, rubber and glass. Approx-imately 25% of this waste is haz-ardous, and is currently festering inlandfills throughout the continent. Tomanage this problem, the EuropeanParliament and Council adoptedDirective 2000/53/EC which calls onMember States to recover, recycle andre-use car components.

In the Netherlands, there was no pro-fessional company in existence thatrepaired cars using second-handcomponents. Sectors in which auto-mobiles either play the principal role –such as car leasing companies – andbusinesses where cars are providedfor their staff systematically had theirvehicles repaired using new parts.

With no mechanism in the country to use second-hand components,Achmea SchadeService, the largestinsurance company in the Nether-lands, decided to create one: GreenRepair.

The main goal of Green Repair was tocarry out successfully the large-scalere-use of car components in partner-ship with insurance companies andclaim managers, auto repair and cardismantling companies. This wouldhelp the environment by reducing theamounts of ELV waste and reduce thecost on insurance premiums up to asmuch as 15% since second-hand carparts are less expensive than new.

Achmea set up a logistics system, co-ordinated by Achmea Parts Service,to manage the handling and availabil-ity of the used car parts and qualityinsurance systems and ensure clearcommunication lines between allstakeholders.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 21

Re-use of second hand car components in company car fleets

To comply with the EC Directive on end-of-life vehicles, Achmea SchadeService – the largest

insurance company in the Netherlands – created an award-winning scheme for Environmentally-

friendly car dismantling and recycling.

LIFE-Environment project in the Netherlands

So how does this work in practice?Achmea developed a “Green Policy”for auto insurance. When a GreenPolicy holder is in a car accident,he/she calls an approved GreenRepair auto repair company. Thiscompany analyses the damages andmakes an estimate of the repair costs,then contacts the Achmea Parts Ser-vice, which tracks good quality sal-vaged car components, with a requestfor the required parts.

The Achmea Parts Service logs therequest to affiliated Green Repair cardismantling companies and receivesan answer on availability of the partswithin an hour. Only high quality sec-ond-hand parts are used; if none areavailable, then a new part is purchased.While the car is being repaired, theGreen Policy holder is given a car touse until his own is ready.

All the participants in the Green Repairscheme must comply with a battery ofrequirements, must adhere to strictenvironmental standards and mustensure excellent customer service.

With Green Repair, motor insurancepurchasers pay lower premiums and

receive top quality car repair.

Used car parts are given a new life.

Green Repair is an all around success:Achmea SchadeService has provedthat re-use of car parts on a largescale is economically, ecologically andtechnically feasible and has shownthat 80% of all car damage can berepaired with used car parts withoutcompromising quality standards.

Thus, used car parts are given a newlife rather than being tossed into alandfill and motor insurance pur-chasers pay lower insurance premi-ums and receive top quality car repairwhen needed.

Reference: LIFE99 ENV/NL/000233Total eligible cost: EUR 587,645,38LIFE contribution: EUR 176,293,61 Beneficiary: Achmea SchadeService.

Contact: Bart Janssen Tel.: +31 (0) 55 579 28 71Fax: +31 (0) 55 579 69 79 E-mail: bart.janssen@achmea.nlWebsite: www.achmeaschadeservice.nl

Duration: from 15 November 1999 to 15 November 2001.EU legislative reference: End-of-Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 23

Rcycl: Domestic waste reduction, vocational training and job creation

The Ministry of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, in partnership with Rcycl, a non-

profit association, set out to recycle bulky domestic waste while at the same time providing

vocational training and creating jobs for the disadvantaged population in the community.

LIFE-Environment project in Belgium

Diaservice Yaka sells second handcloths, toys and small householditems and is set up like a regulardepartment store.

Nestled against the gently rolling hillsof the eastern part of Belgium, bor-dering Germany and the Netherlands,presides Eupen, a prosperous townand home to the Ministry of the Ger-man–speaking Community of Bel-gium. But the city’s tranquil, elegantstreets belie a bustling endeavor tokeep Eupen’s streets clean, help theenvironment and provide vocationaltraining and jobs for the disadvan-taged members of the community.

Indeed, Eupen is at the heart of Rcycl,which began as a LIFE pilot project(from October 1999 – December2002). The project was conceived as anetwork to improve the bulky wastedisposal system in place at the time,reduce the expense of waste removalfor the community, provide a socialservice for youth, the handicapped,the long-term unemployed, and pro-vide an opportunity for the disadvan-

taged members of the community topurchase good quality second-handitems at a minimal cost.

The way it was

Before Rcycl was created, there were1-2 official bulky waste pick-up days inEupen and surrounding communities.On these days, the local citizens in thecommunity would put their bulky wastein front of their homes, and the lorrieswould drive by and pick up the refuse.Since the possibility of getting rid ofthis household refuse occurred soinfrequently, these goods would sit formonths gathering dust in garages andattics. On the designated pick-up days,the streets were then overflowing withbulky household items… There was anadditional unwelcome phenomenon,“bulky refuse tourism”: neighbouringcommunities in the Netherlands and in

Germany, where the pick-up costs forbulky waste are high, would bring theirwaste over the border and add it to theheaps outside of their Belgian neigh-bour’s homes.

Additional downsides to the classicdoor-to-door system were the rela-tively high costs for collecting and dis-posing of household refuse – approx-imately EUR 130 per tonne (about 20kg/resident) – and an extremely lowrecycling rate, meaning that most ofthe waste was tossed onto the grow-ing heap in the nearest landfill or dis-posed of illegally in the neighbouringcountryside.

An efficient, service-orientedapproach

Rcycl offers a round the clock pick-upservice for all bulky household waste,including furniture, old electrical appli-ances, household items, clothes,wood and metal for Eupen and theseven other communities it services:Plombières, Kelmis, Raeren, Aubel,Limbourg, Lontzen and Baelen. Thepick-up service is free of charge in 5 ofthe 8 communities, and the total pop-ulation served is 65,000 and 26,000households on 400 km 2.

The system is based on a three-pillarstrategy:

> 75% recovery of waste: 10% ofwhich is re-used, 65% is recycled;

> job creation: 20 new jobs have beencreated (8 at the sorting centre), with15 “Article 60” employees (spon-sored by the federal reintegrationprogramme);

> training: Rcycl works in collaborationwith the Robert Schuman (Eupen)and Don Bosco (Verviers) institutesand has trained 30 interns (provid-ing 3000 hours of on-the-job train-ing per month).

Here is how Rcycl works: when a citi-zen in one of the participating com-munities has an item or items to be

removed, he/she calls the sorting cen-tre in Eupen. In Eupen itself, the itemsare removed within 48 hours; in theother communities, a pick-up is madeweekly. The waste items are taken tothe sorting centre where they areweighed, sorted immediately uponarrival into large wooden crates forclothing, toys, electrical and electronicequipment, styrofoam, etc. and arestored temporarily until the appropri-ate partner organisations in turn pickup the items (i.e. furniture, is picked-up by 3R, toys and household items byYaka, etc.).

The Eupen sorting centre works with anetwork of 10-15 non-profit partneragencies, notably:

> CFER - Centre de Formation en En-treprise et Récupération;

> 3R - repairs and sells second-handfurniture, bricolage, electrical appli-ances, stoves and dishwashers;

> Fra-Dolcine – repairs and resellshigher quality upholstered furniture;

> Day Centre for the Handicapped,Kelmis and surrounding communi-ties-mainly repairs and restores better quality furniture;

> Diaservice Yaka – sells second-handclothing, toys, small housewareitems such as dishes, cutlery andglassware.

The sorting centre contacts the part-ner agencies who then collect theitems that their agency handles. Fromtime to time, some electrical appli-ances are repaired on the spot, how-ever this is relatively rare as the lack ofspace makes regular repair workunmanageable. Another problem as aresult of the limited space is that itemsthat are not picked up by partneragencies within a few days must bedismantled, or thrown away.

The second-hand partner agenciestake great pains to present the itemsin the best condition possible: at Yaka,toys are washed thoroughly, then vac-uum-wrapped in cellophane so thatthey appear new. Clothing is immacu-late, pressed and presented on racksfor women, men and children just asone would see in retail stores. The fur-niture at 3R is cleaned, repaired anddisplayed neatly in the appropriatearea of the store (living rooms, diningsets, bedroom sets, kitchens, etc.),again, just as one would see in a reg-ular retail store.

Bulky refuse is picked up and deliveredto the sorting centre in Eupen.

Sorting centre, Eupen: waste isweighed and sorted immediately on arrival.

LIFE Focus I A cleaner, greener Europe I p. 25

3R repairs second hand items rangingfrom electrical equipment to woodenand upholstered furniture.

3R living room department.

Reference: LIFE99 ENV/B/000640Total eligible cost: EUR 1,991,078.52LIFE contribution: EUR 737,084.13Beneficiary: The Ministry of the German-speaking Community of Belgium

Contact: Michael MockelTel.: +32 87 59 63 00Fax: +32 87 55 28 91E-mail: michael.mockel@dgov.beWebsite: www.dglive.be/eu-programme/rcycl.html

Duration: from 1 October 1999 to 31 December 2002.EU legislative reference: COM (1996) 399 Final - Communication on anupdated “Community strategy for waste management”; Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC; Hazardous Waste Directive 91/689/EEC;Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 2002/96/EC

The project is not only environmentallyand socially sound but is also eco-nomically advantageous for the com-munities it serves. “The overall quanti-ties of waste are reduced because themajority – 75% – is recycled or resold.That’s 75% less waste deposited incommunity waste sites and landfills.As a result, the Communes spend lessmoney on handling waste,” saidMichael Mockel of the Ministry of the German-speaking Community ofBelgium and co-ordinator of the Rcyclnetwork. “Rcycl also creates jobs for the long-term unemployed, providestraining for youths, and the disadvan-taged members of the community areable to purchase at minimal cost basicnecessary items such as clothing,housewares, furniture… it’s a win-winproposition”.

In fact, the results could be even bet-ter if the sorting centre had a biggerspace in which to work. “We wouldlike to do more repair here on site. Wehave the tools, we have the interns,but we don’t have enough space touse these tools under sufficiently safeconditions”, said Mr Mockel. Negotia-tions are currently underway with the

Walloon Region for new premises forthe sorting centre of 4000 m2. “If weget the new space, we will also beable to develop other projects, forexample collect packaging waste, setup a repair shop, open a “brocante”which would be open to the publicevery day… We could be restoringand recycling 85% of the waste in thecommunes!”.

Indeed, paying the rent for the currentpremises accounts for the highest run-ning cost of the operation. Costs forpersonnel are minimal (50%): staff at3R, the Day Centre Kelmis and at thesorting centre are subsidised by theCommunity of the German-speakingpart of Belgium. Those at, Fra-Dolcineand Yaka are financed by the WalloonRegion. All partners work also with“Article 60” (long-term unemployed)employees who are financed up to 75-100 % with federal subsidies.

The long-term internship programme(minimum 1 year, maximum 3 years)provides a paid apprenticeship fortroubled youths (Community of theGerman-speaking part of Belgium)helping them to become responsible

members of the community and bemore easily employable afterwards.However, even more could be done.“Ideally, we would like to providecloser mentoring with each of theinterns. But we just don’t have enoughstaff for now to be able to do it”, saidMiguel Pelegrin, Head of the sortingcentre at Eupen.

A model of success

Rcycl works. In 2002 alone, 850tonnes of bulky waste were collected(10% of which comprised electricaland electronic equipment) fromhouseholds and an additional 157tonnes of electrical and electronicwaste were recuperated from storesand other businesses.

The system is easy to put in place, therunning costs are low and it can beeasily reproduced in many other coun-tries. A Rcycl brochure is now avail-able in 6 languages describing how toset up this simple yet highly effectivesystem.

As a LIFE-sponsored project, Rcyclended in December 2002. But thesolid network of committed partnersand continued support from the Min-istry of the German-speaking Com-munity and the Walloon Region of Bel-gium mean that Rcycl is here to stay.

Name LIFE (“L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement” / The financing instrument for the environment)

Type of intervention co-financing of actions in favour of the environment in the Community, in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe that are applicants for accession to the European Union and in certain third countries.

LIFE is made up of three subject headings: “LIFE-Nature”, “LIFE-Environment” and “LIFE – Third countries”.

Objectives> with a view to sustainable development in the European Union, contribute to the drawing up,

implementation and up-dating of Community policy and legislation in the area of the environment;> explore new solutions to environmental problems on a Community scale.

Beneficiaries any natural or legal person, provided that the projects financed meet the following general criteria:> they match the priorities laid down at Community level and contribute to the objectives listed; > they are submitted by reliable participants from financial and technical points of view;> they can be carried out from the technical point of view, in terms of timetable and budget,

and offer a good cost-benefit ratio.

Types of project> Eligible for LIFE-Nature are nature conservation projects which contribute to maintaining or restoring natural habitats

and/or populations of species in a favourable state of conservation within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC.> Eligible for LIFE-Environment are demonstration projects which bring environment-related and sustainable development

considerations together in land management, which promote sustainable water and waste management or whichminimise the environmental impact of economic activities. Five areas of intervention are preferred: the management and enhancement of the territory, water management, the effect of economic activities, waste management, integrated product policy.

> Eligible for LIFE-Third countries are projects which contribute to the establishment of capacities and administrativestructures needed in the environmental sector and in the development of environmental policy and action programmesin the countries bordering the Baltic or Mediterranean seas, other than those of Central and Eastern Europe which haveapplied for accession.

Implementation The Member States or third countries send the Commission the proposals of projects to be co-financed. The Commission sets the date for sending the proposals annually and reaches a decision on these. It monitors the financing and follow-up of the implementation of the LIFE actions. Accompanying measures enable the projects to be monitored on the ground and, in the case of LIFE-Nature, to encourage certain forms of cooperationbetween similar projects (“Co-op” measure).

Period of involvement 5 years (2000-2004).

Funds from the Community approximately 638 million EUR distributed as follows: 300 million EUR to LIFE-Nature, 300 million EUR to LIFE-Environment and 38 million EUR to LIFE – Third countries.

ContactEuropean Commission – Environment Directorate-GeneralLIFE Unit – BU-9 02/1 - 200 rue de la Loi - B-1049 Brussels – Fax: +32 2 296 95 56 Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life/home.htm

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