Waste management – and more importantly, waste generation – is a matter of global concern. As we become more conscious of the detrimental effects of poor waste management, it becomes increasingly more evident and urgent that serious action needs to be taken.
The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) opens a portal of opportunities and potential actions for those interested. The EWWR is an international initiative aiming to increase awareness about sustainable ways of managing resources and waste; through various environmentally-friendly activities concentrated during a whole period of one week on an annual basis.
The EWWR aims to engage a large range of audiences, including public authorities, companies, civil society and individual citizens, to become active and get involved in programmes involving sustainable changes towards more sound waste reduction practices.
The core objectives of the EWWR are awareness raising on waste reduction, the importance of reusing products wherever possible, and proper recycling methods. The EWWR is steered by various member participants, of which Malta’s Wasteserv is one – forming part of the EWWR steering committee; as such the EWWR aims to highlight the important work undertaken by its various participants.
How can I get involved?
At its core, the European Week for Waste Reduction has the function of promoting the waste hierarchy in the composition of waste management strategies – that is to first reduce waste, followed by reusing and ultimately recycling and recovering what cannot be reused. The option of last resort is to dispose correctly waste that cannot be recycled. This is a means of consuming as few resources as possible.
Private organisations and individual citizens are both encouraged to take part in this movement. One can participate as follows:
■ As an organised body or an individual citizen who is interested in carrying out some sort of awareness-raising action on waste management and the waste hierarchy. You are invited to register on the EWWR website as an action developer, or;
■ As an individual or group who wishes to participate in an already organised action taking place during the EWWR – you can view a list of local actions to which you can contribute as a participant on the EWWR website www.ewwr.eu
The European Week for Waste Reduction 2018 will take place between November 17 and 25. More information can be found on www.ewwr.eu/ or www.wasteservmalta.com/euroweekforwastereduction for specific local activities.