Waste Management informal sector, Riad Oufi recycling company formalisation process in PPP with Tulkarem JSC

Overview of the Informal Recycling Sector (IRS)

“the informal solid waste sector refers to individuals or enterprises who are involved in recycling and waste management activities but are not sponsored, financed, recognised or allowed by the formal solid waste authorities, or who operate in violation of or in competition with formal authorities” (GIZ, 2006)

Recycling is first of all an economic activity of commodities extraction, upgrading, and trading, and as such it provides a livelihood for millions of persons worldwide (Scheinberg, 2010)

Street pickers Recovery Bottles, cans

Landfill scavengers Recovery Bottles, paper, plastic Collection crews Recovery

Collection crews Recovery

Travelling buyers Door to door buying (announced collector) Paper, cardboard, glass bottles, aluminum cans, nylon

Dealers neighborhood dealers or buyers Buying (retail)

Small-scale entrepreneurs

Buying, trading

Large-scale entrepreneurs

Buying and exporting/trading large-scale processing technology Metal, iron, steel, paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, glass bottles, tires, miscellaneous

IRS forms(Mohammad Said Al Hmaidi, 2014)  

When an active informal sector is removing waste for recycling at different points of the system, the result is that waste composition figures may be measured after some recycling has already happened, so comparisons can be misleading. City authorities are often unaware of these nuances. (David C Wilson et al., 2012)

Waste management analysis should study the IRS

workers  rights  care  not  covered

not  included  in  the  local  tax  system

child  labor

no  monitoring  of  environmental  degrada8on  prac8ces,  soil,  water  and  air  pollu8on

IRS negative aspects

low  acceptance  from  the  society  (wider)

scarce capital

health risks posed to the related community or general

public

no  legal  status

poor  working  condi8ons

high recovery rates (up to 80%)

IRS positive aspects

income to poor population

experience on the recycling sector

use of most appropriate technologies

deep knowledge of the territory

relationship with the surrounding population (narrow)

reduce the cost for the formal Waste Management (20%)

What to do with IRS?

One of the aims of modern waste management is to move ‘up the waste hierarchy,’ i.e. reduce the reliance on disposal and increase recycling: it would seem ironic to move forward by deliberately eliminating what can be a rather efficient, existing recycling system […]

The preferred option is to integrate the informal sector into waste management planning, building on their practices and experience, while working to improve efficiency and the living and working conditions of those involved (David C. Wilson et al. 2006)

Studies have shown that in low-and middle-income countries the resource recovery rate by the informal sector is up to three times higher than by the formal solid waste management system. Informal recyclers are also able to valorize recyclable materials at lower costs than the formal sector due to their experience and special knowledge about identifying materials and marketing them. (SWEEPNET, 2014)

The regional solid waste exchange of information andexpertise network in Mashreq and Maghreb countries

• Integrating the informal sector within any proposed SWM system.

(Maria Besiou et al., 2011)

realidealsymbiotic

100.000.000

80.000.000

60.000.000

40.000.000

20.000.000

0

-20.000.000

NPV

(€)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

time (years)

25

The informal sector is clearly any city’s key ally. These human resources can be best deployed in the public interest through appropriate legal and institutional spaces. But that doesn’t imply that the informal recycling sector is a distinctly developing world phenomenon. The research here shows that it exists even in San Francisco, California, and Tompkins County, Ithaca, New York. (UNHABITAT, 2010)

False belief

Carton collection in Tulkarem city and Alsha’sawiya and Wadi Alshaeer areas from commercial and industrial activities

context analysis and survey on carton production and analysis of the informal sector based on the following: • questionnaires to shops and commercial activity

under the survey • analysis of carton collection in other cities:

Nablus, Jenin

IRS discovered in Tulkarem

• Riad Oufi is collecting carton from commercial activities since 2009

• family business born as carton scavenger in municipal dumpsites

• collecting around 60% of the carton from commercial activities in Tulkarem city

• no collection in the surrounding municipalities • collection, transportation and manufacturer

direct selling • carton, plastic and metal • partially accepted by the community

• included in the public sector (employed by municipalities or bodies related to WM)

2 options to include IRS in the formal WM:

• as private sector with a PPP system (cooperatives, SME, associations, companies)

PPP as strategy to keep the environmental standard and the concept the waste management is service to the population

(A) Interface with the SWM system

(B) Interface with the materials and value chain

(C) Social aspects and the interface with society

(O) Organisation and empowerment

Methodology: tool integration radar (‘InteRa’) (C. Velis, 2012)

(A) Interface with the SWM system

• Access to the waste • Recognising the role of the informal sector. • Protecting public health and the environment • Strengthening interfaces

Methodology: tool integration radar (‘InteRa’) (C. Velis, 2012)

(B) Interface with the materials and value chain

• Improving the quality of the source material • Adding value to the products sold • Improving linkages along the value chain

Methodology: tool integration radar (‘InteRa’) (C. Velis, 2012)

(C) Social aspects and the interface with society

• Facilitating recognition and acceptance of the informal sector (by the wider society)

• Work towards child education and gender equality and inclusivity

• Occupational H&S

Methodology: tool integration radar (‘InteRa’) (C. Velis, 2012)

(O) Organisation and empowerment

• Organisation if IRS

• Financial viability

• Capacity building

Methodology: tool integration radar (‘InteRa’) (C. Velis, 2012)

Public municipality and JSC

PPP agreement: JSC Tulkarem with IRS Oufi Co.

Private Oufi Recycling company

PPP agreement

• municipality commitment on access to waste

• facilitate acceptance • environment protection • public health

• NO SERVICE FEE • environmental licence • workers insurance and

safety • increase collection

including other villages

CESVI NGO

to be continued….