United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch Waste Minimization Work Plan 2012-2013 Update August 2012
WASTE MINIMIZATION WORK PLAN The Global Partnership on Waste Management (GPWM) was launched in November 2010 as an open-ended partnership for international agencies, governments, businesses, academia, local authorities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to enhance international cooperation among stakeholders, identify and fill information gaps, share information and strengthen awareness, political will, and capacity to promote resource conservation and resource efficiency. 1. SUMMARY OF THE FOCAL AREAS OF WORK: WASTE MINIMIZATION Waste minimization refers to strategies that are aiming to prevent waste through upstream interventions. On the production side, these strategies are focusing on optimizing resource and energy use, lowering toxicity levels during manufacture and closing the loops of resource use in production processes. Strategies that are considered to minimize waste and thus improve resource efficiency in or even before the manufacturing process are, for example, sustainable product design, cleaner production, reuse of scrap material, improved quality control, waste exchanges, industrial symbiosis, etc. On the consumption side, waste minimization strategies aim to strengthen awareness and prompt environmentally conscious consumption patterns and consumer responsibility to reduce the overall levels of waste generation. Since both production and consumption activities are relevant, it is clear that a life cycle approach is important. This will avoid waste shifting from one product life cycle stage to another and from one region of the world to another. While it is important to support the environmentally sound disposal of wastes, the end-of-pipe approach is not sufficient to ensure a holistic strategy on waste management. Waste minimization is an important cross-cutting area of the GPWM, because it complements the work that will be undertaken by other working groups that are more focused on downstream solutions on waste management. 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE FOCAL AREA OF WORK Waste minimization activities aim to contribute to sustainable consumption and production as a key element of a green economy. This will ultimately aim at the promotion of the concept of waste as resource, which will build on practices which aim at reducing the amount of waste generated, lowering the toxicity and hazardous substances in wastes, as well as closing the loops of resources within the production processes. In particular, the activities to be carried out will be done by joining efforts with existing work stream within UNEP on design for sustainability, cleaner production and the promotion of life cycle approaches, as well as by promoting synergies with the other members of the focal area. Overall, work of the waste minimization focal area aims to strengthen awareness, share information on the practices for waste minimization, provide guidelines and training materials, build capacity at national and local level, and draft strategies to promote waste minimization in pilot cities and countries. 3. PRIORITY ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES The initial focus, during the 2012-2013 biennium will be on a few areas, using synergies with ongoing work on design for sustainability, cleaner production and the promotion of life cycle approaches, including the newly launched work associated with the concept of Eco-innovation, and collaborating with partners such as the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and all Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch 2
other members of the focal area, including UNIDO, national governments, industries and Cleaner Production Centres. The following activities are proposed for the 2012-2013 biennium: 1. Consolidate information associated with the work in the area of waste minimization of all the members of the focal area and ensure that relevant publications and documents are available on the focal area website; 2. Highlight waste minimization aspects in ongoing work within UNEP on ecoinnovation, eco-industrial park, design for sustainability, cleaner production and the promotion of life cycle approaches; 3. Building on the input of the members of the focal area, coordinate existing best practices on waste minimization, based on a format agreed upon with the members of the focal area. The cases provided by the members of the focal area will be posted on the website; 4. In the development of new tools associated with eco-innovation, eco-industrial park management, and greening of selected supply chains, incorporate specific sections related to the waste minimization with input from focal area members. A general tool on eco-innovation, as well as three sectoral supplements, will be developed; 5. Build capacity on waste minimization implications at regional (tentative 3) level, in synergy with ongoing work on eco-innovation, design for sustainability, cleaner production, the promotion of life cycle approaches and greening supply chains in priority sectors (i.e. building and construction and agri-food); 6. Incorporate a specific section to discuss waste minimization approaches during an international workshop, which is covering work developed within the context of eco-innovation, design for sustainability, cleaner production, the promotion of life cycle approaches and greening supply chains in priority sectors (i.e. building and construction and agri-food). 7. Development of a study on current assessment and trends of the implementation of the concept of waste as resource at global level. 4. GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOCAL AREA EFFORTS AND TIMELINES A brief outline of activities is provided below: 2012 1. Consolidation of information on members and on-going work on waste minimization on the partnership website. Budget: 5,000 USD (Job could be done by a consultant under leadership of lead member) Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch 3
2. Highlighting of waste minimization aspects in ongoing work within UNEP on ecoinnovation, eco-industrial park, design for sustainability, cleaner production and the promotion of life cycle approaches; (work initiated in 2012 and concluded in 2013) Budget: 20,000 USD 3. Coordinate existing best practices on waste minimization from the members of the focal area and compilation of information on the Partnership website, Budget: 5,000 USD (Job could be done by a consultant under leadership of lead member) 2013 4. Incorporate specific sections related to the waste minimization with input from focal area members in newly developed tools associated with eco-innovation, eco-industrial park management, ; Budget: 60,000 USD 5. Three regional capacity building events for governments and stakeholders including private sector and consumers. Budget: 90,000 USD 6. International workshop including a specific section on waste minimization, and a working meeting to develop work plans for the next biennium 2014-2015 with the participation of members of the sponsored focal area. Budget: 100,000 USD for the workshop organization 30,000 USD for the participation of the members of the focal area and for the discussion of the work plan of the next biennium (Funds to be mobilized) 7. Development of a study on waste as resource, addressing the current status and future trends of the approach, based on current research promoted by the International Resource Panel. Budget: 50,000 USD (Resources to be mobilized by the focal area) Grand Total: 360,000 USD That means that if synergies with ongoing work can be achieved, then only 10,000 USD for a consultant are needed for 2012 and 80,000 USD will have to be fundraised for 2013. 5. OPPORTUNITIES AND LINKAGES Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch 4
As highlighted before waste minimization is a cross-cutting area, therefore it is important to ensure the synergies mentioned above are fully realized. Moreover, linkages with a number of other GPWM working groups may be established as needed and appropriate. 6. EVALUATION Progress will be tracked and reported to the GPWM secretariat on a regular basis. The implementation process and the delivery of outputs for each activity will be monitored according to UNEP s logical framework matrix. 7. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION Except of the time dedicated to this topic by the lead member in UNEP DTIE s SCP Branch, the activities will be funded mainly through potential synergies with existing activities of the SCP Branch or other members of the focal area and extrabudgetary support. Therefore, the waste minimization working group will reach out to potential donors and partners at various levels, including through the GPWM Advisory Board. The SCP Branch will use available resources for work on design for sustainability, cleaner production and the promotion of life cycle approaches to ensure synergies with the objectives of waste minimization. Overall, a strong fundraising effort, in close coordination with the GPWM Secretariat, will have to be done to ensure that the work plan can be implemented. 8. WORK PLANNING PROCESS A working group will be established in 2012 at the latest. Then, an update work plan will be discussed in an initial working group meeting. Communications with working group members and organization of work will then take place through electronic communication means. Work plans will be reviewed on a yearly basis or as need be to be able to adjust planning according to the progress made. 9. MEMBERS Membership of the waste minimization working group is currently under development. The point of contact is the lead member in UNEP DTIE s SCP Branch, represented by: Mr. Arab Hoballah Chief Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, United Nations Environment Programme 15, rue Milan, 75441 Paris Cedex 09, France Tel: +(33-1) 44 37 14 39 Fax: +(33-1) 44 37 14 74 Email: Arab.Hoballah@unep.org Web: http://www.unep.fr/scp Moreover, additional technical support for the development of activities in the focal area will be provided by: Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch 5
Mrs. Elisa Tonda Head of Unit, Business and Industry Unit Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, United Nations Environment Programme 15, rue Milan, 75441 Paris Cedex 09, France Tel. +(33-1) 44 37 19 88 Email: Elisa.Tonda@unep.org Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch 6