NEWSLETTER 02 | 2021

WASTE AND RECYCLING MANAGEMENT AS PART OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

EDITORIAL Economic growth generally implies growing demand for raw materials, down. Plastic waste in the ocean does considerable damage to energy and other natural resources, while growing amounts of materi- flora and fauna and finds its way into the human food chain. This news- als end up as waste if not properly managed. The use of raw materials letter highlights practice-oriented circular economy solutions related to from natural resources and the related production and consumption waste and recycling management as part of our work in , Serbia processes have environmental, economic and social consequences be- and the Americas. Our team of specialists from the Water, Sanitation & yond national borders. Even though a circular economy is increasingly Waste Management Department provide comprehensive solutions based viewed internationally as a necessity and opportunity, integrated solu- on longstanding technical experience and innovative thinking. Within the tions related to the issue of waste are still not at the forefront of practice. GFA Climate & Energy Cluster and its Technical Working Group on Green Many developing countries and emerging economies are facing major and Circular Economy inhouse experts leverage synergies by collaborating challenges in improving waste and recycling management systems. across all relevant business units within the GFA Group so that services for all aspects of a circular economy can be developed and provided. Waste should no longer be deposited in uncontrolled landfills, illegal rubbish tips or incinerated in the open, and it must not end up in water­ Anja Desai ways, resulting in climate-damaging greenhouse gases as it breaks Managing Director

Raw materials are becoming scarcer, en- CLIMATE-FRIENDLY SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING MANAGEMENT IN ALBANIA ergy more expensive, and the amount of waste is rising worldwide. Less than ten Dumping waste in open, unregulated disposal ticular with the Directorate for Environment per cent of the raw materials consumed sites is a common sight in Albania. Most of the Policies and Waste Management Sector, and the are currently recycled. For a circular reasons for this phenomenon lie in challenges­ National Environment Agency (NEA). Regionally, economy it is essential to recycle ma- of transporting waste to regional waste man- the project focuses on two regional NEA and SEI terials and recover energy from waste. agement centers. Therefore, the Modernized, offices, where some of the partner municipalities Municipalities provide the separation Climate-friendly Solid Waste and Recycling are located. At the local level, the project works and collection of used materials, and Management program of GIZ been support- closely with the municipalities of , , increase recycling capacities for the sec- ing initiatives to strengthen the waste manage- , , Cerrik and Saranda. Its overall ondary use of materials in order to re- ment in several municipalities in Albania since objective is to establish foundations for climate- duce the final disposal or incineration of 2020. The project cooperates with the Ministry sensitive implementation of the national strategy waste. Such measures will be more effec- of Tourism and Environment (MoTE), in par- for integrated solid waste management through tive if integrated in a circular economy. This transformation requires a change in knowledge, attitudes and practices among stakeholders. Companies design and offer products that are intended for a long lifespan, can be repaired and recycled, and are built with a high degree of secondary raw ma- terials. Citizens change their consump- tion and product utilization practices towards more sustainable alternatives. Governments develop and implement laws and regulations as well as market- based instruments to foster sustainable product development and production, sustainable consumption and product utilization as well as recycling and waste Participants holding their certificates of participation in the introduction to waste disposal site operation and management workshop in Cerrik management.

1 one representative from each of partnering equipment and how to continuously manage munici­palities of Roskovec and Belsh. In addition, daily waste loads to minimize adverse impacts teachers and students from the local agricultural from waste disposal. They had the opportunity vocational school took part in the training. to observe typical equipment in operation and develop further appreciation of the practicali- INTRODUCTION TO WASTE DISPOSAL SITE ties of waste disposal site operation and main- OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT WORK- tenance. Municipal staff developed enhanced SHOP IN PEQIN confidence in taking their disposal sites into Peqin is one of the partner municipalities, where operation and in sustaining the improvements a GFA long-term advisor is providing consulting made once the remediation works have been services. Waste is currently covering the entire delivered. area of a gully designated for waste disposal. Operating machinery onsite that is supposed to DEVELOPMENT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT consolidate the waste but is not working regu- PLANS FOR CERRIK AND SARANDA larly. This is a common issue in interim waste Under Output 3 of the mentioned program, GFA disposal sites throughout Albania. In order to ad- has advised selected partner municipalities to Demonstration in the field on the composting dress this problem, the project’s Output 4 is cur- apply climate-sensitive integrated waste man- process and the equipement needed rently developing a related operating manual. A agement procedures. One of the activities related workshop on the introduction to waste disposal to the introduction of modernized methods for advisory services to MoTE, environmental compli- site operation and management in Peqin aimed the management of municipal waste in partner ance related to solid waste management (SWM), at testing and contributing to the content devel- municipalities is the development of waste man- modernized SWM at the local level, and opera- opment of the manual. agement plans. The purpose of such plans is to tional standards of existing landfill sites. The event was attended by municipal officials optimize service costs, and, at the same time, GFA Consulting Group has been implementing assigned to city planning and the municipality to introduce more modern and environmentally the program’s Output 3 that aims at applying wheeled loader operator from Peqin, officials re- friendly services. The plans are drafted according climate-sensitive integrated SWM policies in se- sponsible for waste disposal site operations and to an easily monitorable methodology that de- lected partner municipalities, and Output 4 with oversight in the municipalities of , fines the needs for a genuine service enterprise the objective of improving operational and envi- and Girokastra, and a representative of the Min- so that the latter can implement plan require- ronmental standards of existing landfill sites with istry of Interior responsible for municipal services. ments as accurately as possible. temporary operation permits. The objective of the workshop was to provide an The technical team set up by the municipality introduction and demonstration related to im- has been assisted by experts from a consortium OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE proved waste disposal site operation and man- of GFA Group, RWA Group and Eco-DES Studio WINDROW COMPOST FACILITY IN CERRIK agement for project partner municipalities that that helped drafting and consulting plans for the Between October 2020 and April 2021, GIZ are involved in transitioning dumpsites to interim municipalities of Cerrik and Saranda. Both plans assistance helped transform the former unper- landfills. Relevant staff learned how to physi- have been officially approved. mitted and unlined municipal waste disposal site cally organize and operate site infrastructure and Contact: [email protected] in Cerrik into a green waste composting facility. As part of this assistance, equipment to operate the windrow composting process has been pro- vided to the municipality. Following the construc- tion of the composting facility and the supply of main items of equipment required to operate it, the GFA team organized a one-day technical as- sistance workshop for the municipality staff re- sponsible for the site. This capacity development effort aimed at providing an introductory orien- tation related to all equipment and steps of the windrow composting process from green waste production to final compost product. Relevant municipality staff was familiarized with the infrastructure and equipment provided so that the personnel has become confident in op- erating the facility. The workshop was attended by 26 participants from Cerrik Municipality and Creation of working face for appropriate operational layering and compacting waste

2 SUPPORTING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY In order to increase awareness for CE IN SERBIA practices in the sector, GFA organized Between 2019 and 2021, GFA has implemented onsite and virtual trainings and workshops the Climate-sensitive Waste Management project in close coordination with GIZ. The goal in Serbia on behalf of GIZ. The project focused was to bring together stakeholders from on three related key pillars of a circular economy the private and public sectors such as CIRCULAR (CE): policy framework, integrated waste man- the Chamber of Commerce and Industry ECONOMY agement and a circular private sector. of Serbia, the project municipalities and GFA together with the Chamber of Commerce SMEs. This was to establish an understand- and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) has developed ing that circularity can only be achieved value chain guidelines to provide guidance to the as a joint effort and with actors working sector and a framework for various sector stake- together and creating linkages to close holders to increase the use of secondary raw the CE loop as foreseen in the CE-oriented materials. Specifically, the GFA team developed Value Chain Guidelines. CE-oriented Value Chain Guidelines for Plastic Contact: [email protected] Packaging Utilization, and for Hotel/Restaurant/ Catering Food Waste Utilization. REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE IN THE for companies and other European solution In addition to these national guidelines, national AMERICAS providers interested in transferring knowledge. GFA experts have also worked at the regional and Since 2021, GFA in a consortium with NIRAS and The project can activate European clusters local level. Working with 16 local governments in the CLEAN Cluster from Denmark assists Brazil leveraging the International Cleantech Network, the Novi Sad, Lapovo and Krusevac regions, they and Columbia in the transition towards a circular a partnership including eleven European clean supported the improvement of municipal waste plastics economy. The EU-funded project Reduc- tech clusters. The European actors will then management systems by developing CE-oriented ing Plastic Waste in the Americas – Ensuring Sus- participate in co-creation workshops to explore Local Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMP) in tainable Consumption and Production Patterns the city and sector challenges and develop accordance with new regional SWMPs. In order supports the countries in the exchange of know- solutions. These workshops will also provide a to move away from the current linear economy, how and technical solutions regarding a circular neutral venue for informal technology showcases the new SWMPs address CE issues such as economy, and comprises policy dialogue, techni- and match-making between participants. Open waste separation at source through a two-bin cal cooperation, and outreach components. The innovation events and hackathons for selecting system. For example, organic waste is collected project aims at strengthening the cooperation and choosing highly innovative solutions, and for for a composting facility financed by GIZ, and of the EU with Brazil and Colombia by means of knowledge sharing and collaboration between municipal recycling yards are introduced as a a set of activities that will support a transition companies and startups from Brazil, Colombia and climate mitigation practice. The plans address towards a more circular economy in line with the Europe will be organized. The project will also sup- the gender-sensitive inclusion of formal and EU Plastic Strategy. This initiative will support a port the piloting of selected solutions, especially informal waste collectors, and the sustainability transition towards the sustainable consumption with regards to new business models and models of financial planning. At the municipal level, the and production of plastic, particularly concerning of reverse logistic that are likely to be tested. GFA team assisted capacity building in waste waste prevention and management aspects such The implementation phase starts in autumn 2021 management, e.g. collection route optimization of as plastic waste entering the marine environment so that initial innovative circular plastics solutions ten municipalities or recommendations for practi- or favouring green public procurement. for Brazil and Colombia can soon be shared. cal improvements of separated waste collection. Innovation is the cornerstone and starting point Contact: [email protected] As circularity cannot be achieved only by intro- of the project. It will apply ducing separate collection and recycling, the a methodology, developed project also addressed the demand side for and used by Danish partner secondary raw materials. Hence, GFA supported CLEAN to structure the 20 SMEs in the regions in preparing circular innovation process. In a first economy action plans. In particular, the action step, the project will map and plans outlined steps toward the utilization of engage public and private secondary raw materials, process optimization, local stakeholders to identify energy efficiency, and treatment of process- and develop an actionable related waste. Moreover, the team assisted three understanding of circular SMEs in developing their action plans further into plastics challenges within CE Business Models that specifically addressed the city and sectors targeted. the issue of waste reduction, waste separation Based on these challenges and recycling, and the utilization of secondary and the innovation gaps raw material. identified GFA will search

3 GREEN TVET SCHOOL ► How to promote private sector engagement E-Learning course on the German dual TVET system with in TVET delivery to increase the relevance of a focus on renewable energies and energy efficiency skills? ► How to improve didactical approaches in TVET TVET towards green skills development? ► How to improve TVET quality assurance and certification mechanisms towards achieving FIRST ROUND OF THE GREEN TVET allows for synchronous and asynchronous learn- the SDGs? SCHOOL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ing, with a weekly workload of about four hours. ► How to make better use and reap the benefits ONLINE Expert webinars, live discussions and virtual cafés of digital solutions towards greening TVET? TVET Hamburg has completed its first round of fostered the exchange of expertise, while asyn- the Green TVET School – a unique e-learning pro- chronous learning sequences with interactive The presentation of the roadmaps in front of an gram on the German dual TVET system with a fo- reading exercises, quizzes, videos and podcasts expert panel was the concluding highlight of the cus on green energy skills. The six-week program facilitated further understanding and self-reflec- course and provided the participants with in- was held from 1 February to 12 March 2021 tion related to the contents. To progress from one spiration for the next steps in their professional for TVET professionals and policy-makers from week’s module to the next, participants were re- contexts. Upon successful completion of all tasks, around the globe. Participants from Azerbaijan, quired to submit assignments and contribute to participants received a certificate and a learning Brazil, Burkina Faso, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, online discussion forum. diary with tangible course outcomes in order to Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, and Zambia learned, In the final week, participants collaborated in capitalize on their learning experience. brainstormed and shared best practices in differ- groups to develop their country-specific Road- In light of the participants’ positive feedback and ent country contexts. map towards greening TVET: an action plan for enquiries from other interested parties, GFA will The program was designed and implemented a more sustainable, demand-driven TVET in their offer the online Green TVET School again in the by TVET Hamburg – a GFA-led consortium with respective sphere of influence. The roadmaps fall of 2021. Interested parties may enquire more the Hamburg Institute of Vocational Education cover the objectives, challenges, risks, interna- information on the upcoming event via and Training (HIBB) and the Hamburg Chamber tional best practices, preconditions for success [email protected] of Commerce – in partnership with the Renew- and the participants’ own potential contributions Contact: [email protected] ables Academy AG (RENAC). The objective of the to guiding questions of greening TVET: program was to create a comprehensive online learning experience about essential features of GREEN TVET SCHOOL Moodle platform the German dual TVET while focussing on cur- Dashboard My courses Green TVET School rent trends and skills needs in the sectors of renewable energies and energy efficiency. Due consideration was given to cross-cutting TVET Help Desk Webinar Course Timetable topics such as quality management, public- Getting started Module 1 (1 - 5 Feb) Module 2 (8 - 12 Feb) Module 3 (15 - 19 Feb) Module 4 (22 - 26 Feb) private partnership, workforce demand analysis, curriculum development and digitization. More- over, the UN Sustainable Development Goals were highlighted in the context of fostering the Module 5 (1 - 5 Mar) Module 6 (8 - 12 Mar) Course Certificate role of greening TVET. The course was delivered in a modular format via Moodle, a learning management system that

LEGAL NOTICE GFA newsletter produced by GFA Consulting Group GmbH, Eulenkrugstraße 82, 22359 Hamburg, Germany, phone: +49 40 603 06 100, e-mail: [email protected], www.gfa-group.de ▪ All rights reserved © 2021 ▪ Responsible for content: Anja Desai ▪ Edited by Manfred Oepen, ACT Assist GmbH ▪ Layout: Natascha Pleß ▪ Photo credits: Brian McCarthy, ISTE; istockphoto

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GFA Consulting Group is a growing consulting organization active in international economic development. The main sectors of the company comprise agriculture & rural development, natural resources management & environment, climate change, energy, governance, public finance management, private sector development, education, skills & employment, financial systems development, health, monitoring & evaluation, water, sanitation & waste management, digital innovation and framework contracts. Every year, GFA carries out around 300 projects and studies around the world. GFA vision – As partner of choice we support our clients with services and solutions for all challenges in international cooperation. GFA mission – To improve the livelihood of beneficiaries through our professional services. GFA core values – To offer high performance in service delivery, technical excellence in our main sectors, innovative approaches and products, and credibility with our clients when putting projects into practice.

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