Miniwaste
Encyclopedia
Miniwaste is a European project (January 2010 – December 2012), co-funded by the LIFE+ programme of the European Commission. It is designed to “bring bio-waste back to life”. In other words, it is intended to demonstrate that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of bio-waste at a local level.
The project will emphasize the efficiency and sustainability of bio-waste reduction actions at source, in particular by organising demonstration actions and trainings for the population, and by offering a better way of evaluating and controlling waste prevention.
The main goals
The project endeavors to demonstrate, in accordance with the recent Waste Framework Directive
, that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of organic waste (also called “bio-waste”, covering both food and green waste) at the source in a sustainable way, and to monitor actions for waste reduction in an efficient manner.
The Miniwaste project has four main objectives:
The partners
The Miniwaste partners are the local authorities of Rennes Métropole (project leader, France), Brno
(Czech Republic) and Lipor (urban area of Porto, Portugal), together with ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and Sustainable Resource Management) and Cemagref
(a French composting research centre). Within the project, the three local authorities will seek, test and disseminate appropriate tools that will allow implementation and monitoring of actions for organic waste reduction on their territories. The project thus presents a way of integrating demonstrative actions at different scales (from pilot actions to large-scale actions) with different European partners.
The events
Apart from setting up a set of communication tools (project website, leaflet, newsletter, final report), two key events will take place in the course of the project:
The reduction of bio-waste
Bio-waste is kitchen waste (raw or cooked food waste) and green waste (garden and park waste). Reducing bio-waste can mainly be obtained by limiting food waste and by practicing collective or individual composting of food and green waste. According to studies, an average European produces between 100 kg and 250 kg of organic waste per year. 10% of this waste can be avoided by limiting food waste and almost 30 to 70% can be composted, including at source.
The project will emphasize the efficiency and sustainability of bio-waste reduction actions at source, in particular by organising demonstration actions and trainings for the population, and by offering a better way of evaluating and controlling waste prevention.
The main goals
The project endeavors to demonstrate, in accordance with the recent Waste Framework Directive
Waste framework directive
The Waste Framework Directive is an European Union Directive of 17 June 2008 . The first Waste Framework Directive dates back to 1975 and was substantially amended in 1991.The aim of the WFD was to lay the basis to turn the EU into a recycling society....
, that it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of organic waste (also called “bio-waste”, covering both food and green waste) at the source in a sustainable way, and to monitor actions for waste reduction in an efficient manner.
The Miniwaste project has four main objectives:
- to gather and share good practices and case studies, which allow to reduce bio-waste and are implemented by European local and regional authorities (for instance, composting);
- to reduce bio-waste in the partner countries (namely France, Portugal and the Czech Republic), by implementing demonstration actions at different scales;
- to develop and implement monitoring procedures, such as a computerised tool, allowing to assess the quality and the quantity of the compost;
- to disseminate the deliverables and results obtained by the partners, in order to provide guidance for European authorities in terms of bio-waste reduction.
The partners
The Miniwaste partners are the local authorities of Rennes Métropole (project leader, France), Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
(Czech Republic) and Lipor (urban area of Porto, Portugal), together with ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and Sustainable Resource Management) and Cemagref
Cemagref
Cemagref is a public research institute in France focusing on land management issues such as water resources and agricultural technology.- Organisation :...
(a French composting research centre). Within the project, the three local authorities will seek, test and disseminate appropriate tools that will allow implementation and monitoring of actions for organic waste reduction on their territories. The project thus presents a way of integrating demonstrative actions at different scales (from pilot actions to large-scale actions) with different European partners.
The events
Apart from setting up a set of communication tools (project website, leaflet, newsletter, final report), two key events will take place in the course of the project:
- A technical workshop, which will be held on 12–13 September in Brno (Czech Republic);
- Miniwaste final conference, set for fall 2012 in Rennes (France).
The reduction of bio-waste
Bio-waste is kitchen waste (raw or cooked food waste) and green waste (garden and park waste). Reducing bio-waste can mainly be obtained by limiting food waste and by practicing collective or individual composting of food and green waste. According to studies, an average European produces between 100 kg and 250 kg of organic waste per year. 10% of this waste can be avoided by limiting food waste and almost 30 to 70% can be composted, including at source.
See also
- European Week for Waste ReductionEuropean Week for Waste ReductionThe European Week for Waste Reduction is a 3 year project supported by the LIFE+ Programme of the European Commission until 2011. It aims to organize multiple actions during a single week, across Europe, that will raise awareness about waste reduction...
- Pre-waste
- ReuseReuseTo reuse is to use an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a different function. In contrast, recycling is the breaking down of the used item into raw materials which are used to make new...
- Waste hierarchyWaste hierarchyThe waste hierarchy refers to the 3 Rs of reduce, reuse, recycle, or and [ which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability. The Rs are meant to be a hierarchy, in order of importance...
- Waste managementWaste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
- Waste minimisationWaste minimisationWaste minimization is the process and the policy of reducing the amount of waste produced by a person or a society.Waste minimization involves efforts to minimize resource and energy use during manufacture. For the same commercial output, usually the fewer materials are used, the less waste is...