Formalisation of informal sector activities in collection and transboundary shipment of wastes in and to CEE

WEEE and bulky wastes are collected by non authorised (informal) people (in most cases but not solely people of the ethnic groups of Roma or Sinti) in countries with "higher developed" waste management and transported into countries with less developed waste management. Beside that, these informal sector activities of waste management also exist in those middle income countries with developing waste management structure. Under pressure to comply with EU directives modernisation of the solid waste sector is in process in the Eastern countries. Informal activities in waste collection and waste recycling are edged out and replaced without considering the affected people. This leads to problems in all three cases of sustainability. Beside financial (of waste collection authorities) and social problems (for waste pickers), environmental disadvantages come from inadequate waste treatment in the target country or because parts of the waste are disposed of at inadequate places. The main issue of the project is to provide a Win-Win situation for all parties involved. Although waste authorities and waste pickers meet each other with mistrust, first investigations showed that common solutions should be possible. To bring the affected parties together in order to take part in a participatory process will be the main challenge. The general objective of the project is the harmonisation between different nations and to contribute to the integration of the ethnic group of Roma and other people in the informal sector and raise their employment levels. Direct integration of informal waste picking (reclaiming) activities in the formal waste collection and waste disposal process are another objectives of the project. The project supports the development of environmentally friendly activities and will contribute to a responsible use and protection of the environmental potentials of Central Europe. A transnational cooperation is indispensable for a successful project as the main goals -the transnational cooperation of authorities concerning informal sector activities, the legitimising and formalisation of waste pickers- can only be reached in a cooperation between nations as it focuses on a cross-border problem. The well balanced partnership in terms of a mix of nationalities as well as know-how is relevant for the handling of the project. Main activities will be the identification and incorporation of relevant stakeholders, the implementation of (social) enterprises in the field of waste management (repair, disassembling, Trash-Design), and integration of informal waste pickers into existing formal waste collection. Expected results are a Transnational Action Plan; a Business Plan for at least one enterprise ready for opening and Waste pickers (reclaimers) integrated in formal waste collection with win-win situation for all parties.