P articipatory S ustainable W aste M anagement

Transcription

1 P articipatory S ustainable W aste M anagement

2 Supporting the global network of informal recyclers The st World Conference of Recyclers, held in Bogotá, Columbia, was the first step to creating a Global Network of Solid Waste Recyclers. The aim of the network is to enhance the visibility of recyclers; to raise awareness of their environmental service and their contribution to the formal economy. The network ensures the active and effective participation of recyclers in all aspects that impact their work, life conditions, and social position. CANADA BRAZIL Recycle symbols mark the locations of participants at the 1st World Conference of Recyclers Albania Argentina Bolivia Brazil Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China (Hong Kong) Ecuador Eygypt Gernamny Guatamala Haiti India Indonesia Italy Kenya Mexico Morocco Nepal Netherlands Norway Paraguay Peru Philippines South Africa Turkey UK Uruguay USA Venezuela

3 Organised recycling programmes provide an opportunity to enhance About the PSWM project public environmental awareness with the recyclers performing the role of envrionmental agents - Jutta Gutberlet, PSWM Project Director. A B O U T the PSWM project BACKGROUND Participatory Sustainable between the core participants THEMES Social inclusion Waste Management is a partnership project between of the project. The project has been receiving funding from the University of Victoria in the Canadian International Canada and the University of São Paulo in Brazil. This Development Agency (CIDA) since 2005, and has evolved partnership emerged out of into a key reference for a long history of previous knowledge generation and research and community mobilisation on inclusive outreach collaborations waste management. an effective anti-poverty Solidarity economy Income generation Participation and empowerment Collective action Environmental and social equality an effective anti-poverty strategy Public policy Sustainability and health strategy Photo: member of Vila Popular recyclers co-op Jutta Gutberlet

4 Photo: Separated plastic Jutta Gutberlet Objectives Through capacity development, the PSWM project helps Brazilian recycling co-operatives become more RESILIENT. Increased ORGANISATION stimulates COLLECTIVE ACTION towards more effective and safe collection, processing, and commercialisation of recyclable materials. By creating spaces for dialogue and knowledge exchange, the project contributes to increased AWARENESS among governments and communities about waste co-management issues and the reduction of waste.

5 Participatory management processes and ownership in local development. TRANSPARENCY throughout project planning, implementation, funding, and evaluation is fundamental to participatory project management. Partners FUNDACENTRO SENAC MNC (Movimento Nacional dos Catadores) Potential new partners 10 regional representatives of recyclers 6 municipal governments Universities NGOs Social movements Universidade de São Paulo Potential new administration University of Victoria EMPOWERMENT is a key strategy for overcoming inequities and AGENCY is a crucial element for asserting the power of collective goals based on AUTONOMY and SELF-DETERMINATION (AUTO- GESTÃO). Participation means active engagement in decision-making Administration Photo: participatory project management Jutta Gutberlet

6 The project gives us hope, motivation, power. That s why we are always after capacity building; because we are much more instructed and prepared to continue the struggle - Zilda, CRUFFI recycling co-operative, São Paulo. Participatory capacity development Participatory approaches to development promote SOCIAL JUSTICE and produce empowering outcomes, such as increased community capacities and broader STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION in Photo: Vida Limpa co-op collecting material Jutta Gutberlet decision-making. These approaches provide a platform to reduce and circumvent power relations typical of development research, and provide a voice for marginalised populations by facilitating their involvement in programs. Through this process of POWER REDISTRIBUTION, opportunities emerge to build participants capacity to transform their lives. Participatory approaches provide a means to facilitate EMPOWERMENT and COLLECTIVE ACTION, which can result in significant development outcomes including improved quality of life, the protection of resources, reduced social and economic exclusion, and enhanced equality.

7 Photo: Jardim Santa Elizabeth Julian Yates Inclusive integrated organic waste management Decentralised systems of collecting and processing food waste for use as fertilizer on local agricultural land save landfill space, reduce environmental hazards, and RE-CYCLE VALUABLE NUTRIENTS AND LABOUR. This model is particularly powerful in urban areas, where access to fresh fruit and vegetables is often difficult and costly, and where food waste must be transported long distances before final disposal in overcrowded and unsanitary landfills. A pilot study carried out under the PSWM project revealed that the collection and processing of food waste presents opportunities for the DIVERSIFICATION of existing waste-based livelihoods, as well as opportunities for INCOME GENERATION amongst urban farmers. Integrated and inclusive organic waste management lays the ground on which to forge NEW MODELS OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING.

8 Participatory Video Participatory Video (PV) is a powerful tool for exploring and communicating socioeconomic and environmental concerns. PV enables people to create and shape their own films. Participants are involved in all stages of the production, and through a range of techniques groups identify and analyze issues concerning their neighborhood and livelihoods. This DYNAMIC PROCEDURE helps participants to take action to solve their own problems, and provides a powerful means to COMMUNICATE NEEDS and ideas to decisionmakers. PV is an excellent tool for ENGAGING AND MOBILISING marginalised populations, and for helping them to propose their own forms of sustainable development based on local assets and capacities. Photo: Sr. José Gomes (Cooperpires) voices his concerns on camera Crystal Tremblay

9 MICRO-CREDIT Stimulates higher incomes among the participants of recycling groups. Strengthens the bonds of cooperation among participants. Helps to build the solidarity economy. Improves the autonomy of the groups. Micro-credit Most informal recyclers and co-ops still sell their materials to intermediaries who determine the market prices. For the recyclers to engage directly with the recycling industry they need to be able to sell large quantities of material. Micro-credit is key in helping these groups to UNLOCK BOTTLENECKS and delays during collective commercialisation. The PSWM project initiated a working capital fund managed by 8 women in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. The fund provides small loans, which allow groups to survive until payment from industry arrives. This eliminates the need to sell to intermediaries and MAINTAINS INCOME WITHIN THE NETWORK. The experience has helped to empower the women involved by opening up the opportunity for APPRENTICESHIP AND PERSONAL GROWTH. Photo: Micro-credit provides capital to invest in infrastructure Jutta Gutberlet

10 Collective commercialisation Lots of cooperatives don t survive one year because it is very difficult to gather material, but we are not alone and together we are stronger to work as a network, in a group... to learn about the reality of others was just so relevant - Francesca, FENIX recycling co-operative, São Paulo. Collective commercialisation involves the organisation and networking of cooperatives and community associations, which enables them to sell their products in large quantities, deal directly with industry, and generate higher incomes. Collective commercialisation ENHANCES THE CAPACITY among social enterprises to participate and SUCCEED IN THE MARKET PLACE. It also facilitates the formation of strong social relations for a stronger GROUP IDENTITY. Dialogue with and support from government agents, industry, and the wider community are also crucial elements in this process. Within the PSWM project, the Rede Gerando Renda (Network Generating Income) initiative facilitates collective commercialisation by carrying out capacity building initiatives among recycling cooperatives in the São Paulo region. Photo: Separated recyclable mterial Jutta Gutberlet

11 It was important for me to participate in the computer workshop because now I am able to contribute to the growth of my cooperative and also to our network of cooperatives - Maria Isabel, Cooperlimpa, Diadema. Digital inclusion Digital inclusion is a form of SOCIAL INCLUSION that aims to ensure disadvantaged individuals or groups have access to and the skills to use Information Communication Technology (ICT). ICT has become an important aspect of contemporary society; computers are widely Photo: Recyclers at an IT skills workshop Clécio Varjão used in the public and private sectors. The Internet is a valuable channel for LEARNING AND COMMUNICATING through a wide range of online services. The PSWM project directly contributes to social inclusion, and digital inclusion is recognised as an important aspect. The project developed an online system for collective commercialisation, and provided training for the system and other fundamental aspects of computer and Internet use. In the future more recyclers in Brazil will be able to MANAGE THEIR RESOURCES through an on-line database that facilitates collective commercialisation.

12 1 Photo: Demonstrations Jutta Gutberlet Knowledge mobilisation PSWM Newsletter Vol 3 Is 2 Visit our website for more information at PSWM PO BOX 3050 STN CSC Victoria, BC V8W 3P5, Canada Tel: Fax: IN THIS ISSUE 1. Organic waste collection (p.1) 2. Capacity-buildng in IT (p.3) 3. MOTHERS pilot project (p. 5) 4. Out of the Ashes Fundraiser for Coopercose in Brazil (p. 8) 5. Tragedia em Perus (p. 9) PSWM NEWSLETTER The Collection and Re-use of Organic Waste for Urban Agriculture in Diadema Photo: Gardener at horta Fundação Casa (trabalhadores de horta Fundação Casa). J. Yates, D November 2007 iadema is an exclusively urban municipality within the metropolitan region of São Paulo in Brazil. With over 350 thousand inhabitants, the city has an extremely high population density of approximately 11,600 per km2. The slums that occupy 3.5 % of the municipality are home to 23 % of the city s population. The low-income households in these areas spend % of their disposable income on food and still do not meet their daily dietary requirements. In particular, the urban poor do not have sufficient access to fresh fruit and vegetable (F&V). Research has shown that Brazil as a whole only consumes approximately 125 kg of F&V per capita per year, PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE Clockwise from top left: Recyclers at the truck inauguration in Brazil (August 2007); Binners at the community mapping event in Victoria, Canada (September 2007); Recyclers celebrate in Sao Paulo, Brazil (August 2007); Waste collectots in Sri which falls below the WHO recommendation of 146 Kg of F&V intake per capita per year. Due to problems of transportation, storage, and a lack of access to local sources of F&V, the urban poor suffer the most from this lack of access. The low-income urban population also faces a multitude of health problems, such as the contamination of land and water supplies by untreated waste. During the Brazilian winter months of 2008 (July - September), community-based research laboratory member Julian Yates carried out research into an innovative waste management model capable of reducing poverty, food insecurity, and providing a better use of the waste generated in Diadema. participatory pilot project was carried out in Diadema, in which organic waste was collected on a door-to-door basis by the recycler s association Vida Limpa, and transported to a local community garden for process- A RESOURCE RECOVERY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE The low-income households in these areas spend % of their disposable income on food and still do not meet their daily dietary requirements. innovative waste management model capable of reducing poverty, food insecurity, and providing a better use of the waste generated in Diadema. Lanka, courtesy of Practical Action taken by Lucy Stevens (2006). IN THIS ISSUE Updates from Brazil including a feature story on the Rede Gerando Renda project (p 4), micro-credit program (p 5), and the evaluation mission (p [1] We are pleased to present our first bilingual issue with stories from Brazil, Morocco and Canada. Volume 2 Issue 2 8); Mayne Island glass recycling (p 9); research on social enterprise and Binners in Vancouver (p 11); highlights from the Victoria Binning project (p 14); also including an article from a member of the Communitiesbased Research Lab on Practical Action (p 16). Knowledge mobilisation provides a bridge between programmes, such as PSWM, and the relevant stakeholders in the community, such as recycling co-operatives. The goal is to promote social inclusion and poverty eradication and to REDUCE STIGMATISATION among recyclers and their families. It is through knowledge mobilisation that governments and the wider community become more educated about resource recovery.

13 Support the GLOBAL NETWORK of informal and organized recyclers visit: pswm.uvic.ca Photo: MNCR Jutta Gutberlet Designed and produced at the COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH LABORATORY by Jutta Gutberlet, Julian Yates, Crystal Tremblay, Clécio Varjão, and Bruno Jayme (with Greg Spira). Department of Geography, University of Victoria, PO BOX 3060 STN CSC, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3R4, Canada Tell us what you think: us your opinions and sign up to receive regular updates. Printed on 100% recycled paper Universidade de São Paulo