Warmer bulletin e-news, January 08, 2010

Europe - waste management conference papers available

9th International Conference on Waste Management
November 16 - 18, 2009

A series of useful presentations are available from the recent waste management conference in Vienna , Austria .

The presentations are available from:

http://www.abfallwirtschaftskongress.at/inhalt/english/index.htm

Day 1 - Value & recovery, from waste to resource

13:10 Opening - Ulli SIMA

13:15 Introductory statement:
Value and Recovery - from Waste to Resource - Josef THON

13:25 Welcome address from the President of ISWA - Atilio SAVINO

13:35 Waste in a sustainable economy - from the perspective of a cosmonaut and present manager - Franz VIEHBÖCK

Current solutions to waste management problems

13:55 From an Austrian perspective - Leopold ZAHRER

14:10 From the perspective of the Vienna City Council - Martin SCHEIBENGRAF

14:25 From a European Parliament perspective - Karl-Heinz FLORENZ , Member of the European Parliament, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety / European Parliament Correspondent on Climate Change

Waste management and the economic crisis:
Economic development of secondary raw material markets

15:25 Example: Paper - Dieter GRUBER

15:35 Example: Metals - Christian MÜLLER-GUTTENBRUNN

15:45 Example: Glass - Helmut ARTACKER

15:55 Plastics Recycling in an Economic Environment - Herbert KNITTL

16:05 Global secondary resources markets; effects on the port of Rotterdam - Wijnand SCHONEWILLE

Approaches taken by municipal waste management

16:20 Approaches taken by municipal waste management - Reinhard SIEBENHANDL

16:35 How the waste authorities of Hamburg respond - house-to-house fight for waste paper - Rüdiger SIECHAU, Spokesman of the Board of Stadtreinigung Hamburg and Chief Executive Officer of VKS at VKU

16:50 CEE reactions to the new market situation - Walter TANZER, Managing Director

Day 2

09:00 The Frankfurt am Main Experience - Clean City Agency Frankfurt - Peter POSTLEB

09:15 The Paris Experience - Salubrity punitive Policy - Didier DELY, General Manager

09:30 The Dublin Experience - Bernie LILLIS

09:45 The Vienna Experience: Waste Watcher & Co - Martina ABLEIDINGER

Biowaste - exchange of experiences

09:00 Jens Aage HANSEN, Enzo FAVOINO, Wojciech ROGALSKI

11:00 From the perspective of Fillers and Packers: Choosing the right partner to meet Packaging Directive requirements - Alfred BERGER, CEO

11:15 Perspective of compliance scheme operators - Christoph SCHARFF, CEO Altstoff Recycling Austria AG

11:30 From the perspective of the City of Vienna - Rainer KRONBERGER

11:45 Resulting from the amended German Packaging Ordinance - Fritz FLANDERKA

Biowaste disposal vs. biowaste recovery

13.30 Sustainable biowaste management in Vienna - Wojciech ROGALSKI

13:45 The Italian experience - David NEWMAN

Aerobic versus anaerobic

14:00 The Lisbon perspective - Filipa VAZ

14:15 Biowaste management concept of Munich - Günther LANGER

14:30 Organics research news: beneficial effects of compost application on soil and climate protection - Wilfried HARTL

Panel/audience discussion "Which materials? How are they collected? How are they treated? What happens to the product?"

15.30

India - Himachal Pradesh collects over 1,300 quintal of plastic waste

The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh government's effort to counter waste plastics is said to be yielding results, as about 1,381 quintal of such waste was collected from across the region during a week-long special drive. In India , the quintal is equivalent to 100 kg and is reportedly a standard measurement of mass for agricultural products.

DNA India reports that the drive was launched by chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal from Dharamsala on December 21. As part of "polythene hatao, paryavaran bachao" ("remove polythene, save environment") drive, government agencies and NGOs collected plastic wastes which would be used in road metalling work.

Capital Shimla topped in collection of plastic wastes with 425 quintal, followed by 250 quintal in Solan, which has major industrial areas, officials said.

Buoyed by good results, chief minister Dhumal has appealed to people to maintain the tempo and make collection of wastes a habit.

The hill state (in the Western Himalayas ) has already banned use of polythene carry bags from October 2 last.

Ethiopia - business recycling tyres into shoes does big business via internet

Old truck tyres never die, they just turn into sandals. The UK Guardian reports that for decades this has been the tradition in Ethiopia , where everyone from farmers to guerrilla fighters has fashioned worn-out road rubber into cheap, long-lasting footwear.

But now, thanks to a young woman entrepreneur who has combined the internet's selling power with nimble business practices more often associated with Asian countries, the idea has been turned into an unlikely international hit. By adding funky cotton and leather uppers to recycled tyre soles, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu has sold many thousands of pairs of handmade flip-flops, boat shoes, loafers and Converse-style trainers to foreign customers.

In the run-up to Christmas, workers at the soleRebels "factory" - a small house on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital - were frantically cutting, sewing and gluing to fulfil internet purchases from customers as far away as Canada and Australia . Alemu's brother packed pairs of cotton and suede trainers into a box about to be couriered to Amazon.com, the company's main customer, which receives the shoes in the US three to five days after placing its bulk order. "We are sitting in Addis Ababa but acting like an American company," said Alemu, an excitable 30-year-old former accountant who is fond of reeling off the numbers that illustrate her firm's rapid growth.

Just five years after start-up, soleRebels employs 45 full-time staff who can produce up to 500 pairs of shoes a day. More will be hired after next month once the footwear range, priced between £21 and £40, goes on sale online in the UK and Japan on Amazon's new footwear website javari.co.uk. The company's sales target for 2010 is an impressive £300,000, but Alemu's ultimate goal - one she seems deadly serious about - is far loftier: to become "the Timberland or Skechers of Africa".

The success of soleRebels, which has thrived in the global market with no outside support other than a government line of credit to help meet large orders, is challenging preconceptions both about Ethiopia and the best way to lift its people out of poverty.

Abroad, the landlocked country still suffers from an image of a hungry and often helpless nation, with 6 million people requiring food relief and billions of dollars of aid each year. But where some might see despair Alemu saw inspiration. While brainstorming for an Ethiopian-flavoured product that could be produced in a sustainable manner, she remembered the truck tyre sandals, which were used by local fighters who repelled Italian soldiers many decades ago, as well as the rebels who marched into Addis Ababa in 1991 and today run the government. "Recycling is a way of life here - you don't throw things away that you can use again and again," she said. "I wanted to build on that idea."

At the time other Ethiopian shoe companies were struggling to compete with cheap imports from China . SoleRebels decided to concentrate instead on the export market, where Alemu reasoned that customers would pay good money for uniquely designed products. She found a supplier who could deliver old truck tyres and tubes, and hired women to spin, weave and dye pieces of locally-grown cotton, jute and hemp using skills passed down through generations.

Tracking international shoe fashion trends on the web, Alemu designed a range of footwear. Some are simple cotton-covered or leather covered flip-flops and sandals with names like Class Act and Gruuv Thong. The bestselling Urban Runner takes inspiration from the classic Converse All Star "lo-top" trainer, with a piece of inner tubing for the toecap and organic cotton-covered footbeds. Virtually all the materials are locally sourced, including the camouflage material used on some shoes, which is cut from old army uniforms.

After receiving international fair trade certification, Alemu began bombarding US stores and websites with emails and samples. Shops such as Whole Foods and Urban Outfitters agreed to stock the shoes, which were imported duty-free under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act, helping prices stay competitive. As word spread, individual customers began buying directly from the soleRebels website - the Christmas order from Canada included a scanned trace of the customer's foot - with the shoes usually arriving by courier from Ethiopia within a week. But business really took off when Amazon signed up as a customer. Alemu is an evangelist for the online business model, saying it allows the company "to understand the market needs and demands in real time". SoleRebels negotiates directly with retailers, doing everything from ordering processing to credit collection itself, and ensures most of the final sales price remains in Ethiopia . As a result, Alemu said, she can pay her staff between £1.20 a day for trainees and £7 a day for experienced artisans - good wages by local standards. In turn, the government earns more taxes, spurring more development.

"In Ethiopia we have become used to taking money from the west, to always getting help," said Alemu. "That does not make for a sustainable economy. We need to solve our own problems."

The success has enabled soleRebels to begin construction of a solar-powered factory near the current workshop, to allow for expanded production. While it will better showcase the company's eco-friendly methods, that's not the main reason customers like the shoes, Alemu said. "People buy soleRebels because they are good, not just because they are green or from Ethiopia . Our product speaks for itself."

England - consumers can help secure Britain's food future

Ensuring food security is just as important to Britain's future as energy supply, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Hilary Benn told delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference today as he unveiled the Government's food strategy, Food 2030.

Farming and food businesses contribute more than £80 billion to the economy and represent the UK 's largest manufacturing sector, employing 3.6 million people.

The Food Strategy sets out the challenges facing Britain in maintaining a secure food supply at a time of rapid population growth and climate change, and following the big price increases seen in 2008 following droughts and the rise in the price of oil.

Mr Benn said:

"Food security is as important to this country's future wellbeing - and the world's - as energy security. We need to produce more food. We need to do it sustainably. And we need to make sure that what we eat safeguards our health. We know that the consequences of the way we produce and consume our food are unsustainable to our planet and to ourselves. There are challenges for everyone involved in the food system, from production right through to managing food waste. We know we are at one of those moments in our history where the future of our economy, our environment, and our society will be shaped by the choices we make now."

He noted that a decade ago, only 16 per cent of eggs produced in the UK were free range. In the last ten years that's more than doubled to just under 40 per cent. Waitrose, M&S and the Co-op now sell only free range or organic eggs. And with the UK 80 per cent self-sufficient in free-range eggs this is a great example of how our farmers have responded to what consumers want, to the benefit of both. He also said that government and food businesses needed to support consumers by providing more accurate information about the origin and nutritional content of the food they buy, and called on all retailers to sign up to the Pigmeat Labelling Code of Practice, due to be published next month.

The food strategy sets out goals for 2030, and the changes that need to be made to achieve them, including:

UK - food waste recycling is as important as ingredients says survey

Almost 80 per cent of people believe that where food waste ends up is as important as where ingredients come from when they dine out, according to new research.

MRW

http://www.mrw.co.uk/page.cfm/action=Archive/ArchiveID=26/EntryID=6157

reports that a survey commissioned by commercial food waste collection and recycling provider Cawleys, found that for 78 per cent of people waste was as important as food quality when eating out. Additionally, 69 per cent of people care about food waste in restaurants and the workplace but 39 per cent of people recycle at home but do not think about it at work. And 44 per cent of consumers would pay more in a restaurant with exceptional environmental credentials than that without.

British Hospitality Association Sustainability Committee chairman and chief executive of Best Western Hotels David Clarke said: "It's right that there should be increased consumer pressure for the commercial sector to demonstrate its commitment to recycling and CO2 emissions reduction."

The report 'Eco eating: consumer attitudes to commercial food waste' has been published as Cawleys rolls out the UK 's 'first' nationwide commercial food waste collection and recycling service for anaerobic digestion.

Cawleys business development manager Kate Cawley said: "AD has been around for some time but until now there hasn't been a UK-wide food waste collection and recycling solution, which could potentially have a significant impact on reducing food waste generated by national hotel and restaurant chains."

USA - Florida state releases 75 per cent recycling goal report

Report outlines recommendations for achieving 75 per cent recycling goal in Florida by 2020.

After gathering extensive public input, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has released its report with recommendations to achieve a new statewide recycling goal of 75 per cent by the year 2020 to Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Legislature. The Energy, Climate Change and Economic Security Act of 2008 established this new goal and directed the DEP to submit a comprehensive program to achieve it by January 1, 2010.

"The 75 per cent recycling goal is the highest of any state," said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. "It will be a challenge to achieve, but it can be reached through partnerships among state government, local governments, trade organizations, schools, businesses and industries as well as the people of Florida ."

The information and recommendations in the report were developed based on broad research and contributions of more than 500 stakeholders who participated in four public workshops. An even wider range of ideas were submitted through emails and DEP's Web forum, which received nearly 12,000 visits.

Florida generates more than 32 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, almost two tons per resident per year. Today, more than two decades after the Legislature passed Florida 's first 30 per cent recycling goal, Floridians collectively recycle only 28% of their solid waste. The report explores ways to increase the percent of material recycled in an economically responsible way through heightened public awareness, state leadership, development and expansion of recycling markets as well as increased investments throughout the local government and commercial sectors.

The report outlines initial steps low in financial impact but high in recycling value in order to make the report practical in today's economic climate. Some of the key recommendations in the report include:

require state agencies to meet the 75 per cent goal.

apply the new recycling goal to counties with a population greater than 100,000 and cities with a population greater than 50,000.

The next step in the process is for the Legislature to consider these recommendations during the 2010 legislative session.

Copies of the report 75 per cent recycling goal (1 MB) can be collected from the DEP's website at:

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/shw/recycling/75percent/75_recycling_report.pdf

Or we can email you a copy.

UK - synthesis report on food-related consumer behaviours

The UK Government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has just published the results from a project which synthesises the evidence on the factors driving consumer food behaviours and applies the findings in the context of individual behaviour change for sustainability. The aim of the study was to provide an accurate, up-to-date picture of existing policy-relevant evidence on consumer behaviour and attitudes to food and environment in the UK .

Food behaviour is very complex and requires an understanding of numerous different behaviours, throughout all phases of consumption from purchase through to disposal. The generic evidence base on food choice is vast and stresses factors interacting and impacting at individual, social, contextual and societal levels. Yet the evidence on the sustainability impacts of these behaviours and specifically on what the public's role is in reducing these impacts is still emerging.

The project adopted a team approach, incorporating experienced reviewers alongside a 'sounding board' panel of experts, in order to produce clear recommendations for future approaches to pro-environmental food behaviours, for policy, communications and research audiences.

The work was led by The Social Marketing Practice supported by AD Research & Analysis, Icaro Consulting, Alex Inman Consulting, Residua and Tara Garnett.

Selected key findings

Food choice

Project documents
Final Report: Defra Food Synthesis Review - Main Report - FINAL (1.7 MB)
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=EV0510_8632_FRP.pdf

Executive Summary: Food Synthesis Review - Summary Report (0.6 MB)
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=EV0510_8635_EXE.pdf

Final Report - Annex: Food Synthesis Review - Annex A (1.2 MB)
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=EV0510_8633_FRA.pdf

Final Report - Annex: Food Synthesis Review - Annex B (0.2 MB)
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=EV0510_8634_FRA.pdf

Or we can email you copies.

We have integrated these into a single PDF (226 pages, 4 MB) and can send this on request.

Netherlands - Dutch first in Europe to adopt green tax for cars

The Dutch government is to become the first country in Europe to introduce a green tax for cars. This will replace annual road tax. This means that motorists will start to pay for using their vehicle rather than for owning it. The Dutch Government report that the goal is to eliminate the chronic traffic jam on the streets of the small country and reduce carbon emissions at the same time.

Over the next few years, road users will have to pay a charge for each kilometre they drive. The average charge for a car will rise from 3 euro cents per kilometre in 2012 to 6.7 cents in 2018.

This measure is set out in the bill on the kilometre charge , which the cabinet has approved and will now be submitted to parliament.

Revenue

Road tax and purchase tax on cars and motorcycles will be abolished. Instead, motorists in the Netherlands will pay for each kilometre they travel. This means that motorists will start to pay for using their vehicle rather than for owning it.

The revenue generated will not exceed that from the 'old' taxes. In fact, 59% of motorists are expected to pay less under the new system.

The proceeds from the kilometre charge will go directly into the infrastructure fund. This fund will be used to build roads, railways and other types of infrastructure.
Traffic jams and environment

Research shows that road pricing will cut congestion by half. The number of kilometres driven will drop by about 15%. This will benefit the environment, as CO2 and fine particulate emissions will fall by over 10%.
Rates

The fewer emissions motorists create as they become more aware of their driving, the less they will have to pay.

There will be a basic rate for each kilometre. The rate for passenger cars will continue to depend on CO2 emissions. As already mentioned, the average rate will initially be 3 cents/km, rising to 6.7 cents in 2018. These tariffs are based on maximum behavioural effects.

For other vehicles, such as vans, lorries and buses, the weight will continue to determine the basic rate.

The new legislation allows a rush-hour rate to be charged on top of the basic rate.

Denmark - taxes on unhealthy food

Extra taxes on candy and fatty foods could boost the state's coffers by 1.5 billion kroner a year

The taxes on unhealthy food, being introduced from the start of next year, are going to cost consumers more than a billion kroner a year.

Denmark's national website reports that a new analysis from the Confederation of Danish Industry's Food Branch (DI) shows the new taxes on sweets, chocolate, soda and ice cream will bring the state an additional 1.5 billion kroner annually - making Danish treats the most costly in the EU. The government has also mooted the possibility of a saturated fat tax of 25 kroner per kilo on cheese, butter, margarine and vegetable oil, which is likely to be introduced from mid-2010. The new taxes will represent a 27 percent increase in food charges according to the new analysis.

In realistic terms, consumers are likely to see the price of a 100g chocolate bar increase by 44 Øre, a litre of ice cream by 1 krone and a large bag of sweets by 2 kroner.

While the prices do not represent a huge increase, they will push Denmark to the top spot in the EU when it comes to unhealthy food taxes.

Only five other EU countries have taxes on soda and Denmark has the highest rate at 1.14 kroner per litre, with the Netherlands in second place with a tax equivalent to 41 Øre per litre.

Denmark is also the only EU country that taxes candy and chocolate and the proposed saturated fat tax will be the first of its kind in Europe .

DI branch director Ole Linnet Juel is worried about the effect the tax will have on Danish retailers from next year.

'The argument to introduce the new taxes is based on health, but one could wonder if it will have the desired effect when the price difference on candy and soda in Dnemark, Germany and Sweden will be even greater,' Juel told Business.dk.

Juel believes more shoppers will head across the borders to stock up on purchases, reducing the competitiveness of Danish products.

Japan - most people willing to sacrifice standard of living for zero-waste society

The results of a survey on environmental issues, which was released by the Cabinet Office of Japan last year, indicated that 52.9 per cent of respondents would choose to transition to a zero-waste society, even if it lowered their standard of living.

Japan for Sustainability reports that the survey was conducted in June 2009, and involved interviews with 3,000 adults nationwide, measuring public awareness and interest related to two subject areas: zero-waste society and coexistence between humans and nature. There were 1,919 valid responses (64.0 per cent response rate).

When asked about their daily efforts in reducing trash (allowing multiple answers), 62.0 per cent of respondents said that they try not to use plastic shopping bags and/or ask for simpler packaging at stores. With an increase of 30.1 percentage points, this figure was almost twice that when compared with a previous survey conducted in 2005. Other responses indicated increased efforts: "choose refillable products more often (63.3 per cent, +8.3 points)" and "refrain from purchasing unnecessary items (43.6 per cent, +6.7 points)."

On the other hand, it became apparent that the term "biodiversity" is not yet well recognized. Despite the goal to increase awareness of the concept of biodiversity to 50 per cent by the end of 2011, as outlined in Japanese government's Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan in 2007, 61.5 per cent of respondents stated that they had never heard of the term.

Austria - Styria region film of waste management system

The Austrian region of Styria (a member of RRF) has produced an excellent short video about waste management in Styria in 13 languages. Styria is a fine example of high diversion and attention to waste prevention.

It is an interesting use of ten minutes, and can be viewed at:

http://www.abfallwirtschaft.steiermark.at/cms/beitrag/11204479/48620228/

UK - useful event: Inaugural International Remanufacturing Congress

March 2-4
Leamington Spa

Preparations are continuing for the Inaugural International Congress on Remanufacturing, hosted by the Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse, to be held from 2nd to 4th March 2010 at Woodland Grange near Leamington Spa. We are delighted to be bringing together eminent international keynote speakers and practicing suppliers and procurers of remanufactured products, enabling delegates to tap into wide-ranging and practical expertise. The Congress is now open for bookings.

Participants will: