Organic waste is the waste from parks, restaurants, caterers, food processing plants and our own kitchens. The organic fraction represents one of the main municipal waste streams in European countries. This fact determines that, in cases where a separate collection system for this stream is not in place, the organic stream represents much of the weight of residual waste, the waste left over and which ends up in landfills. The recovery of organic waste is thus a real issue, as are the economic models that could be developed from this activity. It is our hope that upon completion of the Project, a clearer view on the management of organic waste will exist, and that the results of the Project will contribute to the necessary shift towards a circular economy and a sustainable management of organic waste.

A consortium of seventeen partners from different European countries, recognizing the importance of organic waste management, launched the Project VALORG (Recovery of organic waste. The Project is funded by the European Commission and will run for 18 months (November 2014 - April 2016).  As a Project partner, CARDET is responsible for coordinating a series of actions. It will also carry out all the activities included in the Project in Cyprus.

Objectives:

1. Explore resources and development opportunities within the concept of “Circular Economy” involving recycling of organic waste and crop residues.
2. Form joint partnerships in partner countries, in order to meet needs in terms of skills required for green jobs by promoting the inclusion of people with specific needs.
3. Create the link between the need for skills and public employability.
4. Carry out waste recovery experiments on the base of which workplace training for people with specific needs will be developed.
5. Assess the results of the experiments in order to model programs of workplace training.
6. Develop a source of proposals for adjusting the training tools developed and tested, in view of the conclusions of the assessment.
7. Translate and disseminate the educational methods and tools within each partner country.

Activities in Cyprus include:

• Conducting of  initial training activities in waste management
• Supporting recovery of organic waste with communities and enterprises
• Improving employability in the field of waste management

Project coordinator

France, Régie des Ecrivains

Project partners

All the 17 project partners are organized in 5 clusters in the following countries: France, Belgium, Spain, Slovakia and Cyprus. On each territory concerned by the project, clusters bring together industrials, social enterprises, local authorities and economists, researchers and engineers in order to identify the needs in the field of recovery of organic waste.

• French cluster animated by Soli’Vers and Alsace Active and composed of: la Régie des Ecrivains, General Council of Bas-Rhin and University of Strasbourg
• Belgian cluster animated by AIGS, and rejoined by ECODIPAR
• Spanish cluster animated by Sakanako Mankomunitatea and composed of:  KERABI, VERMICAN, SAKANAKO GERAPEN
• Slovakian cluster animated by CEKOV and composed of: CKV Consult, ZOHZO
• Cyprus cluster animated by CARDET and composed of: AGIOS Athanasios Municipality, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI)

Read the project's Cummulative Benchmarking Report

Co-funded by the European Commission