The Need for Good Governance to Implement Innovative Waste Management and Reduction Strategies

Jose Antonio Puppim de OliveiraAssistant Director &

Senior Research Fellow at the Programme Sustainable Urban Futures

United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), www.ias.unu.edu 1

This presentation

• Introduction• Governance and waste

management • Cases I and II (informal recyclers

and industrial waste management) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Policy Lessons

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Trends- Increase in consumption and

lack of space for storage and/or treatment,

- Increase in externalities (urbanization),

- Waste kinds and became a commodity at the local and global level,

- Appearance of different kinds of organizations and specialists.

Contrast

… while in the poor countries, policies should also examine the actors that subsist from the garbage, the garbage recyclers and the rest of the chain.

- Governments and citizens/firms (SMEs) generally cannot afford the appropriate option for waste management

-In rich countries policies consider the best

technologies for the collection, transportation,

storage of garbage... - Governments subsidize or

citizens/firms can afford recycling or proper

treatment/disposal…

Quote from the BP 3• “Resource-waste cycle involves various stakeholders

such as community and community based organizations, civic communities, urban and rural local bodies, research and academia, service/technology/equipment providers, investors, regulators and policy makers to name a few. Unless these stakeholders dialogue on a common platform, addressing the issues related “resource and waste” over life cycle or “systems”perspective, an integrated approach cannot be implemented.”

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Governance and Waste Management

• Many opportunities to improve effectiveness in waste reduction and management in LDCs,

• Governments and state organizations are important, but need coordination within governments/sectors and other sectors of the society,

• Win-win (eco-eco) situations exist, but there are institutional obstacles.

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Some Institutional Obstacles for Innovation in WM

• lack of information on how to recycle, reuse and reduce,

• lack of collective action to increase scale of collection,

• informality of the recycling sector,• lack of trust on public agencies

and corruption• Redistribution of C&B

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Case 1 – Recyclers

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Government Discourses towards Recyclers

• Ignore• See them as a problem to the

formal waste system• Try to organize them (cooperatives)

to improve their conditions,• But still need to integrate them in

the formal waste management system (??)

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The government’s support in Rio de Janeiro

1. The first governmental policies supporting collectors in Rio de Janeiro city were created in 1993 named “Collectors’Cooperatives Program” [Programa de Cooperativa de Catadores].

• Coordination and support: the City, NGOs and buyers. • Space: granted by the City (with electric installation,

sanitation, and offices).• Equipment (presses, weight scales, etc.): supplied by

the buyers.• Management: performed by local leaders without

interference of the mayor. • Obligations: contributions as social security, as well as

others.• Recognition. Recognizes the recycler as profession

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Disposal: Controlled sanitary landfills

Waste generators: industry, commerce, offices, homes, streets, etc

Recycleables separated by

generators

Recollection (formal): municipal and private

companies,

Recycling plants

Large and medium-sized intermediaries

(warehouses and middleman)

Recycleables

Productive process

Recollection: municipal and private companies, NGOs,

group of small intermediaries (scrap metal

dealers and recyclers’cooperatives, individual

recyclers

Recollection (informal): street

recyclers’, odd-job people, homeless

people, housewives

Disposal: Uncontrolled landfills, open air dumps

Recollection (informal): dumping recyclers’

Waste

WasteCirculation inDevelopingCountries

Lessons• Change in the “semantics” of garbage did not

improve recyclers’ economic situation,• The new forms of organization did not translate

into better incomes for its member (more costs, routine, lack of power and dependency from other actors in the chain, etc),

• Continued existence of formal and informal systems,

• Appearance of other organizations led to more competition.

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Case II – Industrial Waste

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Industrial Waste• Companies, particularly SMEs, in developing

countries face enormous challenges to establish proper waste management initiatives and promote eco-efficiency, as there is no efficient and effective public waste management system,

• Recycling could increase the efficiency and be profitable. We estimated that the commercialization of byproducts or waste has a potential of more than US$ 77 millions per year, in the state of Rio de Janeiro

• However, as in many developing countries, Brazilian companies face a series of obstacles that impede this potential is fully achieved.

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The research

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Garment

2,3%

2,2%

3,9%

44,2%

10,0%

0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0%

Plastic

Fluorescent lamps

PaperCardboard

Textile

Batteries

0,4%

3,4%

4,7%

9,9%

1,7%

4,5%

3,3%

12,1%

2,3%

6,9%

0,7%

0,0% 2,0% 4,0% 6,0% 8,0% 10,0% 12,0% 14,0%

Metals

Plastics

Glass

Rubber

Wood

Paper/Cardboard

Organic waste

Textiles

Oils

Batteries

Others

Study of the political economy of waste in the different industrial sectors and regions in the state of Rio de Janeiro

Destination of Solid Waste

(1) 49%

(2) 24%

(3)3%

(4) 24%1 Same municipality

2 – Other municipality in the

State3 - Other state

4 – Do not know

Serrana Region

Lessons

• Actions should be focused on the features of industrial sectors, municipalities and regions

• Synergy with sectorial and regional actors can improve coordination and increase scale

• Lack of information can plunder initiatives for waste management

• Informality can undermine some waste management initiatives

• Regulatory bodies are not prepared to interact with regulated firms smoothly

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Example: Cluster Approach

• Organize small firms in the same sector and/or in the same region for increase scale and reduce costs,

• Interaction with governments and waste management firms/cooperatives are key

• Case of Metal-mechanics• Market for recyclable materials

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Jaceruba

Vila Nova

Bairro da Luz

EngenhoPequeno

Prata

Ouro Verde

Palmares

Pernambuco

Nova EraPalhada URG III URG I

KaonzeDanonValverde

Campo Alegre

IpirangaURG VII

Km 32Prados Verdes

URG VIII

Vila de Cava

Figueiras

Geneciano

AdrianópolisRio D’ouro

URG X

URG XI

Tinguá

Austin

Carlos Sampaio

Tinguazinho

Rancho Fundo

Corumbá

Grama

URG IX

Viga

Carmary

Kennedy

Riachão

Inconfidência

Rodilândia

URG II

Miguel Couto

Jardim Tropical

Comendador Soares

Rancho Novo

BairroBotafogo

Três Corações

Posse

Chacrinha

Moquetá

Alvorada

Paraíso

Cacuia

Boa Esperança

Montevidéu

Iguacu Velho

Santa Rita

Parque Flora

Rosa dos Ventos

Vila Guimaraes~

Santa Eugenia

Ceramica

Ponto Chic

Cali fornia

Cabucu’

Jardim Guandu’

Nova America

Vila OperariaJardimIguacu’

’

RESERVA BIOLÓGICADE TINGUÁ

PARQUE MUNICIPAL

DE NOVA IGUAÇU

Example: CTR NOVA IGUAÇU-Rio de Janeiro State (First CDM project

registered)

Landfill

Hospital waste treat

Construction recycling

Sludege treatment

Recover of Vazadouro de Marambaia

The Parties to the Project

ANEEL

Landfill Operator(S.A. PAULISTA)

Grid Owner( LIGHT)

FEEMA

Shareholder´sECOSECURITIESS/A PAULISTA

SPCNOVAGERAR

(Asset Company)

WholesaleEnergy Market (MAE)

Designer /Contractor

Operator

Lender

Energy OfftakersNOVA IGUAÇU LIGHTOthers

Key :GSA = Gas Supply AgreementTUOSA = Transmission Use Of System AgreementDUOSA = Distribution Use of System AgreementTCA = Transmission Connection AgreementDCA = Distribution Connection Agreement

NCDF

IBRD

E NER

G

GSA

TUOSA or DUOSA TCA or DCA

AUTHORIZATION

ENVIRONMENTALLICENSE

MAEAGREEMENT

PPA´S

CARBONCREDTS

REGISTER CERTIFICATION

Project

Policy Messages• Technological approaches are important, but solutions go

beyond technology in LDCs,• Organizational approaches are not enough (Case I), as

governance goes beyond individual organizations,• Solutions go beyond governments, but they are key to

shape outcomes (and roles may differ),• Economics is fundamental, though not enough,• Concession contracts can be key to create incentives to

different actors,• Informal organizations should be given opportunity to

participate in the formal system,• The best solution can change according to the features of

the locality,• Cooperation among different governments (same and

different levels)• Need to understand the local political economy in more

details to propose viable solutions in the long term. 21

Thank you for your attention!!

Jose Antonio Puppim de OliveiraAssistant Director & Senior Research Fellow

United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)6F International Organizations Center, Pacifico-Yokohama

1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku Yokohama 220-8502 Japan

Tel: +81-45-221-2307Fax: +81-45-221-2302

Email: puppim@ias.unu.edu Website: www.ias.unu.edu

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