Waste is generated by the everyday practices of businesses, industries, local authorities, government bodies, schools and the general public. Over the past few years, much attention has been given to the re-use, recycling and management of waste.
However, today more importance is being given to waste reduction for the simple reason that waste that is not created does not have a waste management cost, does not consume the world’s natural resources and energy and does not impose a problem on the environment.
November 20 will see the dawn of the second official European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR). The week, which is supported by the European Commission’s Life+ programme, aims to inform European citizens about the simple actions they can take in everyday life to help contribute to waste reduction efforts.
The three-year project is run by a group of partners including ADEME, France, as project coordinator, ACR+ (European network, Secretariat), ARC in Catalonia, Spain, IBGE in Brussels, Belgium. The project’s aim is to have a lasting impact, and that it will progressively extend its scope within Europe, reaching as wide an audience and raising awareness among the greatest number of citizens possible.
The first edition, held in 2009, was a success: it involved the implementation of 2,672 actions across Europe by 20 organisers in 10 countries.
The 2010 edition of the EWWR will now be organised by 28 public authorities in 15 European countries. Wasteserv Malta Ltd is the official organiser of the week in Malta.
Under the coordination of the organisers, various public authorities, associations and NGOs, businesses and industry, and educational establishments will get involved in the week by carrying out awareness-raising activities on waste reduction. These actions will focus on the various stages of the product cycle, ranging from production and consumption to reuse.
Visit www.wasteservmalta.com to obtain more information to help come up with an idea of a waste reduction action that one can implement during the week.
The action should fall under one of the following categories: Too much waste; Better production; Better consumption; Longer life for products and Less waste thrown away.
Moreover, people may also showcase during the week a waste reduction action may have undertaken.
The next step is to download the participation charter and application form, fill it in accordingly and send it to the e-mail address on the webpage.
A EWWR action will automatically be entered into the review and selection process for the European Waste Reduction Awards.
For more information contact the EWWR team at Wasteserv on e-mail ewwr@wasteservmalta.com or freephone 8007 2200.