If 2023 marked the launch of the System of Return Guarantees (SGR) in the field of waste management, this year will see the opening of the first Centers for Voluntary Contributions (CAVs) funded by the PNRR (National Plan for Recovery and Resilience).

In this context, ECOTIC implemented the STEPS FOR URBAN MINING project between May and December 2023 to promote the transfer of Norwegian know-how in the field of urban waste management and the operation of new CAV collection centers. See what CAVs can look like in Romania.

What will citizens be able to bring to the centers?

The centers are designed for separate collection of recyclable waste and bio-waste that cannot be collected in individual bins or door-to-door. The centers will also provide a solution for the collection of bulky waste, electrical and electronic equipment, used batteries, hazardous waste, as well as construction and demolition waste.

Where will these CAVs be?

There will be 13 large centers managed by local authorities Brasov, Ploiesti, Buzau, Iasi, Sibiu, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare, Constanta, Tg. Mures, Galatiand also by ADI Dolj and the Intercommunal Development Association for Integrated Municipal Waste Management in the City of Bucharest.

The list of other small items of voluntary admission can be viewed here.

What is the contribution of the STEPS FOR URBAN MINING project?

• Webinar on municipal waste management in Norway

InErgeo is the Norwegian partner that ensured the transfer of best practices during this project. The first action of this project was a webinar held in June to familiarize project beneficiaries with the topic of experience transfer.

• 3 working visits to municipal centers in Norway

In the period from August to September 2023. 31 persons representing 19 private individuals involved in local waste management in Romania, visited several municipal collection centers in Norway. On this occasion, they spoke with those who manage such centers and closely observed the flows of urban waste.

• Development and launch of METHODOLOGICAL RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE OPERATION OF CAVES

ECOTIC was launched on Friday, November 3, 2023, in the presence of the Minister of Environment, Water and Forests, Mircea Feshet Manual with recommendations for the operation of KAV, available online here. The recommendations in the manual cover all aspects related to the operation of the collection center: staff, access, signs, communication with citizens, necessary areas in the center and other interesting elements.

• The video is dedicated to the project

The best way to illustrate Norway’s good practice is through the video images that ECOTIC took during the working visits organized by the project. In 7 minutes of video material, an example shows the most important aspects of the work of the voluntary contribution center.

Through the STEPS FOR URBAN MINING project, ECOTIC provides beneficiaries who will manage future CAVs:

1. Manual with recommendations for the operation of KAV
2. Video with recommendations for the operation of KAV

2024 is the year in which the collection infrastructure in Romania will undergo an evolution thanks to new recycling solutions that will be available to citizens. What will these centers look like? The structure is similar to the Norwegian one, special video material is available here.

The €130,000 STEPS FOR URBAN MINING project was developed by ECOTIC in partnership with InErgeo and is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA and Norway grants. The aim of the project is to facilitate the transfer of Norwegian know-how in municipal waste management and in the operation of municipal collection centers of the CAV type.

Article supported by ECOTIC