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LIFE ENVIRONMENT | LIFE and the circular economy focused on the ‘3Rs’ - reduce, reuse and recycle. The European Week for Waste Reduction takes place every year, with people and organisations throughout Europe and beyond organising activities aimed at influencing the behaviour of citizens to cut waste generation. “These actions can take several forms, from the simplest one, such as convincing your neighbours to use ‘No advertising’ stickers on their mailboxes, to big awareness-raising campaigns. In 2015, more than 12 000 actions were implemented in the name of waste reduction, bringing the total number of actions to 61 556 since the start of the European campaign in 2009,” says project and communication officer, Maëva Voltz. Surveys show that most participants plan to continue actions to cut waste. Over 80% of those involved in the 2015 campaign said it has improved their understanding of the difference between waste prevention and recycling and that they would act in a more environmentally-friendly manner in future. The 2015 EWWR resulted in over 2 700 tonnes of waste being prevented. Long-lasting impacts are also expected in terms of behavioural changes as a result of the campaign. Incentivising consumers to waste less Economic incentives have proven particularly effective as a means of reducing the amount of household waste. For example, HEC PAYT (LIFE07 ENV/GR/000271) introduced a ‘pay as you throw’ (PAYT) system in Greece, the first in the country. The pilot involved 1 500 households in Elefsina. Equipment was installed on municipal refuse lorries to weigh the recycling and general waste bins of participating households, with fees dependent upon the amount of general waste produced. European Week for Waste Reduction activities focused on the ‘3Rs’ - reduce, reuse and recycle Photo: LIFE07 INF/F/000185/IBGE-BIM Aside from the environmental benefits, “it’s a fairer waste-charging system,” says project manager, Evangelia Makri. “Citizens pay municipal fees according to the garbage which they produce.” HEC PAYT, recognised as a Best LIFE Environment project in 2012, was highly successful: 25.8% of municipal waste was diverted from landfill, 56% of packaging waste recycled and 17.1% of organic waste composted. Each participant recycled 4.6 kg of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) on average. The project also provided guidance on how PAYT schemes could be implemented elsewhere in Greece, and in Estonia and Cyprus, where no such systems existed. Replicability depends on citizens buying-in to the concept (which may require an awareness-raising campaign) and on a “conducive policy framework in which the polluter’s responsibility, waste avoidance and material recycling take priority,” says Ms Makri. WASTE ON A DIET (LIFE11 ENV/FR/000751) used both financial incentives and information campaigns to shape consumer behaviour. In September 2012, Grand Besançon in France became the first conurbation with over 50 000 inhabitants to adopt a PAYT scheme. Radio frequency identification chips were installed on residual waste bins, enabling the city to charge residents according to the quantity and weight of waste sent for incineration. However, 70% of the city’s population lives in collective housing, where the cost of waste management is not billed directly to individual households, diluting the impact of the PAYT scheme. Consequently, WASTE ON A DIET carried out information campaigns to raise awareness about waste prevention in collective housing. The transient nature of the collective housing population, along with significant social and cultural diversity, makes traditional communication tools less effective. Yet production of residual waste is highest in these households. WASTE ON A DIET targeted residents with campaigns explaining the PAYT scheme and related charges. Project staff overcame barriers by running practical workshops on waste reduction, covering themes such as shopping, preparing meals, redesigning clothes and furniture, and purchasing second-hand goods. The initiatives proved to be successful, with Grand Besançon seeing a 21% reduction of residual waste production in collective housing between 2008 and 2014 (from 267 to 210 kg/inhabitant/ year). 38
LIFE ENVIRONMENT | LIFE and the circular economy Reuse hubs Recycling and reuse levels of key household products, such as furniture, clothes and electrical equipment, are very low in urban housing estates in the UK. The REPURPOSE LIFE project (LIFE13 ENV/UK/000493) is taking steps to promote a culture of reuse in five housing estates in London, by supporting local social enterprises to create reuse hubs in redundant spaces in the heart of the estates. The goal is to enable the collection, repair and distribution of bulky items suitable for reuse, thus providing an alternative to illegal dumping. “Five reuse hubs, each known as The Loop, have been set up in different ways - making use of underground garages, caretaker storage areas and even shipping containers,” explains Richard Featherstone, reuse specialist adviser to the project. The hubs offer a range of services including pre-booked doorstep collection, repairs, cleaning, sales and distribution of reuse products to the next owner. They also organise and participate in community events on the estates, “to promote reuse activity while also enhancing the messages about recycling and waste prevention,” says Mr Featherstone. It is hoped such regular engagement and behaviour-change measures will tackle the root causes of fly-tipping and encourage positive environmental action. The project has met some obstacles along the way, such as a lack of appropriate space for operating the reuse service as well as finding and retaining volunteers to help run each hub. In addition, balancing the plentiful supply of discarded furniture with those wanting to reuse it has been a challenge. “More efforts need to be made to increase sales by setting up a referral system with housing officers and social workers,” says Mr Featherstone. “We also need to circulate reuse stock with the wider reuse network of projects in London and the charity shops in the locality.” “The reuse coordinators have to multi-task to address a variety of day-to-day priorities, not necessarily reuse related but inherent to the culture of the estates,” explains project manager Rebekah Phillips, from coordinating beneficiary Groundwork London. REPURPOSE LIFE will evaluate the different reuse initiatives set up during the project to see whether they provide economicallyviable solutions. “The intention is to review the various scenarios to find a range of financially-sustainable solutions as a legacy for the project. We think viable reuse and recycling options will emerge depending on the size of the estate,” Mr Featherstone concludes. At the end of the project, REPURPOSE LIFE will create a toolkit containing guidelines for other estates and collaborative economy projects, both in the UK and across the EU. Photo: LIFE13 ENV/UK/000493 consumption Benefits of collaborative consumption Collaborative consumption is based on sharing, swapping, bartering, trading or leasing products and other assets, such as land or time. The positive effects include access for consumers to a broad selection of goods and services without the liabilities and risks associated with ownership. The environmental benefits include a decrease in the use of natural resources, energy and emissions (during both production and consumption stages), based on longer or more intensive use of existing products. The success of collaborative platforms can be challenging for existing market operators and practices, but by enabling individual citizens to offer services, they also promote new employment opportunities, flexible working arrangements and new sources of income. However, the collaborative economy often raises issues with regard to the application of existing legal frameworks, blurring established lines between consumer and provider, employee and selfemployed, or the professional and non-professional provision of services. This can result in uncertainty over applicable rules, especially when combined with regulatory fragmentation stemming from divergent approaches at national or local level. In June 2016, the Commission adopted the Communication “A European agenda for the collaborative economy”. This provides guidance for Member States to review and where appropriate revise existing legislation so that consumers, businesses and public authorities can engage confidently in the collaborative economy. 39
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