Partnership for Zero-Waste Industrial Activities

Project facts

Project promoter:
Association Environmental Group for Cooperation 'Bucovina' Suceava
Project Number:
RO17-0033
Target groups
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€220,000
Final project cost:
€219,168
From Norway Grants:
€ 197,251
The project is carried out in:
Nord-Est

Description

The project is needed to implement circular economy recommended by the European Union under the Europe 2020 strategy. The objective of the project is to create partnerships between SMEs in the local area to exploit the wastes and unused resources. The project is expected to achieve the reduction of waste and convert them into resources, their reintroduction into the economic, maximum utilization of resources, energy, unused assets. The project will address these challenges through organizing workshops, technical and environmental consulting provided by Romanian and Norwegian experts. The target groups are romanian SMEs. The bilateral relations will be strenghtened by partnerships with romanian companies for adding value to available resources. The partnership will achieve smart growth, sustainable growth and inclusive growth.

Summary of project results

In Europe's strategy for Growth, Circular Economy emerges as a main component and also as a way of thinking and acting in a limited resource world. The PAZEWAIA Project was dedicated to implement the Industrial Symbiosis paradigm, as a first rate tool to better manage resources and protect the environment. The project objectives were: 1. Establishing partnerships among Companies that HAVE unused resources or WANT resources for their current needs and accept to evaluate the potential of recycling or use existing capacities before going to new, virgin resources or developing their own capacities (business contracts signed by companies that accepted to exchange available resources of any kind: material, know-how, expertise, transport, etc.) 2. Proving a way to implement the Circular Economy at a horizontal level and approaching the Industrial Symbiosis principle, bottom-up, from the very base of the business environment. Mangers showed clearly that they o not need the intervention of Central Authorities of Administration, to sort out their specific problems but acted directly to save money and resources 3. Creating and increasing the awareness for the need of a better environment and a better resource management. This is particularly a good result in the context of Romania’s performance of recycling its waste (max 5% as compared to a 50% aim, to be reached in the years to come. Outputs delivered after project implementation: 1. Number of business partnerships generated by the PAZEWAIA Project: 42 2. Total amount of resources re-inserted in the value chian as a consequence of the Pazewaia Project: 25 tons 3. Intangible result: 12 Workshops organized throughout the Project that contributed to the spreading of the Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis Concepts 4. Number of companies involved in the Project activities: 180 5. Training stages in the field of modern management tools (Cleaner Production approach, Environmental Management Accounting): 12

Summary of bilateral results

Co-operation with the Norwegian Partner was already well established even before the start of the Pazewaia Project. Main issues sorted out by project cooperation: 1. Inserting the Norwegian Expertise in the business contracts having the object of better resource management 2. Selecting the best potential partnerships (from economic, environmental and social point of view), from the list of partnerships produced by PAZEWAIA Workshops 3. Evaluating the Circular Economy outcomes for each partnership 4. Establishing the Training materials to be used in the Pazewaia Project 5. The Norwegian Partner convened with the Romanian Partner that a cooperation is established between the two in order to identify future projects in the PAZEWAIA Project area as well as across Romania. Currently, a Portfolio of potential Projects is constantly developed an discussed together with the Norwegian Partner. A visit from the Norwegian Partner, not financed by IN, is expected in late September, when Romanian Company managers will be called to present their potential Projects. 6. Preparing materials for the Project dissemination, including papers presented at Scientific Events.