Community-Based Recycling

Activities

- Brasil
-Panama
-- Nonthaburi, Thailand
- Waseda, Tokyo, Japan

Yasuhiko Hotta, Dphil

Policy Analyst
Institute of Global Environmental Strategies
Member of study group

IGES; MOEJ
Yasuhiko Hotta Kazuhiko Takemoto
Martin Medina Hiroaki Takiguchi
Makiko Tanaka
Akira Ogihara
Hideyuki Mori
Purpose of the Case Studies
At the Senior Officials Meeting on the 3Rs, it was
identified that multi-stakeholder process as one of the
most important keys of best practices in the 3Rs.

„Purpose of the Case Studies:

Æ
„Objective of the Study Group:
“Effectiveness of multi-stakeholders’ involvement
in the 3Rs”
Four Cases of Community-Based
Recycling Activities

Formalization of waste pickers involvement

in national recycling activities
„ Case 1-Brazil

„ Case 2-Panama

Community-Based Recycling Activities

„ Case 3-Nonthabri

„ Case 4-Waseda, Tokyo, Japan

 Framework of Case Studies
Brazil Nonthabri Waseda Panama

Find key factors from

Key Factors individual cases
Develop own model
(hypothesis) from
key factors

Model/ Hypothesis

More cases to prove the model are legitimate

Stakeholders in SWM and 3Rs in
developing countries

Copied from JICA (2005)

 Case 1: BRAZILIAN WASTE PICKERS
„ Catadores contribute to the 3Rs by recovering
reusable and recyclable materials:
* They supply 90% of the materials that are
recycled by Brazilian industry
* They reduce up to 20% the amount of wastes
to be collected, and disposed of
* World’s third highest recovery rate of Al: 85%
* Recover 16% of paper, 21% of PET bottles, and
40% of glass
„ Traditionally poor, neglected, ignored or repressed.
UNICEF: 45,000 waste picker children in 1998, 30 %
of them had no schooling
 Key Stakeholders
„ National, State, and Municipal
Governments
„ Waste pickers
„ UNICEF
„ Industry (CEMPRE)
„ NGOs
„ Civil society
 Organization of Informal Recycling
Activities
„ ASMARE Waste Picker Cooperative
• Collect source-separated materials at schools,
businesses, residences, office buildings
• Members earn up to 6 times the minimum wage
• Members receive training and various benefits
• ASMARE is now a model for other cooperatives

„ COOPAMARE Waste Picker Cooperative

• Collect 100 tons of recyclables / month, at a
lower cost than the city recycling program
• Members earn US $ 300 / month, twice the
minimum wage (half of labor force < US $150)

„ MNCR
• Now the world’s largest waste picker movement: 500 co-ops with 60,000 members
• National Congress of Catadores in 2001 with 1,700 waste pickers as participants
• Latin American Congress of waste pickers in 2003
• MCNR leader in organizing a Latin American network of waste pickers
 Reaction of government

„ National Program WASTE AND CITIZENSHIP

(Lixo e Cidadania) was created in 1998

„ Participation of various stakeholders (NGOs,

wastepickers, government, private sector) in
local, state and national forums

„ Stakeholders participate in the preparation of

integrated waste management programs (PPPs)
 Waste and Citizenship:
National Forum
„ Promote the creation of State and Municipal Waste
and Citizenship Forums throughout the country
„ “No More Children in Dumps” National Campaign
and their enrollment in schools (Bolsa Escola
Program)
„ Closure and restoration of open dumps
„ PPPs between waste pickers and local
governments
„ National Training Program
„ Involvement of banks
 Challenges Ahead

„ Globalization → Prices of materials (China

and Economic Crises in South America)
„ Legal gaps and lack of government support
„ Lack of business skills among catadores
„ Difficult to organize catadores, slow process
„ Lack of solidarity, conflicts among catadores
„ Scarcity of funds for projects
„ Vulnerable to political changes?
 Conclusions
„ By involving all stakeholders it is possible to
address social, economic, and environmental
concerns in a mutually beneficial way:
* Jobs are created
* Poverty is reduced
* Industry secures inexpensive raw materials
* Natural resources are conserved
* The environment is protected
Case 2- Panama

„ A JICA conducted a waste

management project in Panama
municipality
{ focusing on capacity development for
recycling household wastes
{ 2002-2003
{ Kokusai Kogyo Co. Ltd
Major actors in waste management

„ Panama municipality
„ Private companies subcontracted by
Panama Municipality
„ Waste pickers (several informal
groups)
Waste management
before reorganization of informal sectors

‡ Waste management of Panama Municipality did not

cover the whole area
‡ Private companies and informal groups covered the
areas where Panama Municipality did not cover in
complementary manner
‡ Private companies and informal groups: collecting
metal recyclables (steel, aluminum, copper etc.)
and exporting them to Asia
‡ Informal groups did not colleted solid wastes which
do not include recyclables
Integration between formal sector
and informal sectors

„ Private companies and informal

groups were reorganized to be a part
of waste management by formal sector,
setting up a new cooperative
controlled by Panama Municipality
Key success factors

„ Needs to minimize household wastes due to

lack of landfill site and increasing wastes
from neighboring municipality
„ Complains from local people to Panama
municipality
{ Uncollected household wastes
{ Many conflicts over recyclable wastes among
the informal groups
„ Strong leadership by Panama municipality
Benefits from formalizing informal sectors

„ Contribution for
{ enhancing proper waster management
{ creation of employment opportunities and
stable business operation in the area of
waste management
{ more benefits from trading of recyclables
Case-3 Nonthaburi, Thailand

„ Nonthaburi Municipality

- Population: 270 thousands.

- Known as an agricultural area (tropical fruits
production)
- Developing very fast both in economy and
population as a suburb of Bangkok.
- Higher living standard than other region of
Thailand.
Waste generation and recycling
rate in Nonthaburi (1993-2005)
400 Waste reduction Pilot project of 20.0%
campaign has started. community based
350 approach 18.0%
16.0%
300
14.0%
250 12.0%

200 10.0%

150 8.0%
6.0%
100
4.0%
50 2.0%
0 0.0%
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

G eneration(tons/day) R ecycling Rate

Data sited from Pranee Muenthaisong (2006)

Source: Nonthaburi Municipality 2005
Key activities on the 3Rs in Nonthaburi

„ Community-based recycling projects

„ Organic waste management (centralized
composting facility subsidized by EU)
„ Recycling of florescent lump with collaboration of
TOSHIBA (supported by Japanese government:
JETRO and AOTS)
„ Waste collection scheme: clear collection bag, no
waste bin on the road, twice a day collection, GPS
for waste collection vehicle
Key-stakeholders of recycling
activities

„ Municipal officer
„ Community and household
„ Crew of the municipal solid waste
collection vehicles
„ Junkshops (Private recycling facility)
„ Scavengers and pickers
Background

„ Hygiene and health concern caused by

nearby waste collection facility
„ The scheme has started after the
consultation on environmental and
health concerns with a municipal
officer
„ The community has traditionally strong
bond among members
Community Recycling Project
„ In 2001, a pilot activity has started under
Kitakyushu Initiative.
„ Phibulsongkram Village and Suan Klang
Muang 3 Village as pilot sites
„ Both achieved 20% recycling rate just after 6
months
„ The activities continue to be implemented in
2006.
Field visit of Community Recycling
Project
„ Community size; 300 people around 3 people in
each household.
„ Income level is average in Nonthaburi
„ Recycling is done mainly by older generation and
small shopkeepers as a voluntary activity (40 people
out of 300 people).
„ Separated recyclables are sold to earn community
fund.
„ Community fund is used to improve common
infrastructure (changing street lumps and pavement
of the street) of the community.
Key for success
„ Close and sustainable relations and trust with local
governmental officials (every month, there is a
consultation session with community)
„ Strong presence of community leader
„ General awareness of community members on
seriousness of waste issues
„ This activity not only contributing to improve waste
management and recycling but improve community
infrastructure by earning community fund.
„ Success of this activities started to make the
community member confident (starting new project
to revitalize the canal near to the community)
Case-4 Waseda, Tokyo, Japan
„ Waseda Town

- Population: 52 thousands (including 30 thousands

students). 450 shops and restaurants
- Known as a university town
- In vacation time, the population reduces to less
than half.
Key activities on the 3Rs in
Waseda
„ Eco-Summer festival (1996-1999), Waseda Earth Thanking
Festival (2000-)
„ Close collaboration with TMG in the occasion of charging for
collection of commercial waste (1996)
„ Stakeholder network using e-mail mailing list among shop
owners, recycling machine maker, local governmental officials
(both Shinjuku district and TMG), university professor, and
students (1997)
„ Eco-station using empty shop space (recycling point in the
town) (1998)
„ Summit of Recycling Commercial Town (1999)
„ Community development such as Earth Quake Hazard
management
Key-stakeholders of recycling
activities
„ Waseda Commercial Town Community
„ Mr. Yasui, Chairman of the Community (now MP)
„ Shinjuku District
„ TMG
„ Waseda University
„ Students (1->700 for organizing the festival)
„ Recycling Machine Makers (used as a showcase of
their products)
„ Mass media
„ Customers
„ Professors
„ Citizens organizations and NGOs
Background

„ Started as a commercial incentive

„ Utilizing network of people around
Waseda (including distant people)
along the development of IT
„ Strong personality of Mr. Yasui
Community Recycling Project
„ In 1996, a festival was started to solve the issue of
emptiness in summer time. Very successful.
„ Setting Eco-Station as a recycling center in the town.
„ Connecting organic waste, compost, farmer,
products such as Tofu, and shops under the idea of
eco-cycle.
„ Zero throw away of PET and can in the campus and
the town
„ Revitalizing the town through collaboration with
university and students
Key for success
„ Close and sustainable relations and trust with local
governmental officials (through communication on
commercial waste charge)
„ Strong presence of community leader
„ General awareness of community members on
seriousness of waste issues (commercial waste
charge)
„ This activity not only contributing to improve waste
management and recycling but improve the
confidence of community members.
„ Success of this activities started to make the
community member confident (starting new project
to revitalize the community)
Nonthabri
Waseda Brazil

Panama
 Key lessons and issues
for community-based initiatives
Category Brasil Nonthabri Waseda Panama
Willingness to
x x x
participate
Economic incentive x x x
Infrastructure ? ? x ?
Linkage with
x x x x
municipality
X
Linkage with private X X
business (informal
(formal) (informal)
)
Linkage with academia
or international x x x ?
organizations
Sustainability x x x x
 Model of Multi-Stakeholder
Process in 3Rs
Profit Making

External Informal Sectors/Industry

Conditions; (Waste Management Industry)

central Conflict Resolution

Linkage for participation
government, Local Government
international
organizations
and Community People Solidarity/
academia
Willingness
to
participate
/Awareness
Economic development and multi-
stakeholder approach (hypothesis)
Level of Economy Development of civil
(GNP per capita) society and networking

Nonthabri

Waseda
Panama

Brazil

Scale of Community
 Model of Multi-Stakeholder
Process in 3Rs
Profit Making

External Informal Sectors/Industry

Conditions; (Waste Management Industry)

central Conflict Resolution

Linkage for participation
government, Local Government
international
organizations
and Community People Solidarity/
academia
Willingness
to
participate
/Awareness