The Association of Cities and Regions (ACR+) is a network of more than 90
municipalities and local government organisations from across Europe.  The ACR+ members have a common aim of promoting sustainable consumption of resources and management of waste through prevention reuse and recycling.

In 2007/08 ACR+ established a number of permanent working groups on key-themes:

• WEEE (WEEE-PIN)
• Better Regulation for Waste
• Organic Waste
• Paper
• Packaging
• Bulky Waste
• European Prevention Week
• Waste-CO²

London Councils is keen for London to engage with the ACR+ network, with the aim of gathering best practice and building relationships with other European municipalities. To achieve this engagement in 2007/08 and into 2008/09 London Councils has funded London Remade to represent the London region and London boroughs as members of ACR+.  London Remade is delivering this project through their Waste Reduction and Recycling Support Service.

Through the membership of ACR+ London Remade (guided by a steering group of London Councils, GOL and the GLA) is looking at opportunities across the ACR+ network to share information on sustainable waste management practices that will benefit London and London’s waste authorities. London Remade will make recommendations to the steering group for developing these opportunities or develop new work areas.  This project forms part of the wider London Twinning and Mentoring project and is intended to influence the direction of any further work on this project. 

The project steering group has directed London Remade to attend five of the working group sessions, and the annual ACR+ Directors meeting deemed to be of the most strategic importance to London. All of the working groups aim to develop recommendations on how to fix benchmarks, quantifiable targets and guidelines for the waste streams they relate to as well as supporting the development of new partnerships and projects. London Councils will progress any opportunities with the London boroughs following each of the cluster group meetings.

Below are details of the five working groups which London Remade will be attending (including dates, locations and key outputs/actions from each of the working groups as they take place).

This meeting was held in September 2007. 

Topics discussed at the meeting included:

• Bottled waste consumption and its impact on the environment
• The sustainability of different types of packaging
• The impact of excess packaging
• Methods of reducing the use of carrier bags

Click here to download presentations on the topics discussed at the meeting.

Although discussions took place around each topic no conclusions were drawn on indicators and targets for reducing packaging.

The European Campaign for Waste Reduction (-kg) (100 Kg less waste per inhabitant) was well received.  It appears that London authorities could really benefit from engaging with this campaign. ACR+ is arranging clusters of experts to discuss the indicators and targets that could be used to monitor this campaign and what would be the best approach. Click here for more information about the 100 Kg less campaign.

Funding for packaging reduction projects was available from Life+. This is a fund that supports environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU. LIFE funding has played a role in projects developing and testing waste management solutions. Click here for more information about Life+.

ACR+ is keen to engage with the London Boroughs, including international twinning opportunities and promoting the 100 Kg less campaign.

London Remade gave a feed back presentation to the London Recycling Officers Group (LROG) on 21 September 2007 for further information contact: Majken@LondonRemade.com

A detailed feedback form was submitted by London Remade (complied with input from the steering group) before the event outlining the situation in London and the UK as a whole with regard to packaging waste. 

The London feedback form and LROG presentation are available for download below.

London Remade hosted a conference focused on the role that waste management plays in climate change. The conference ran over two days on 31 January and 1 February 2008. 

Topics discussed included:

• Life cycle analysis, cost benefit analysis and social impact assessment
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through better municipal waste management
• The role of waste in energy policy
• Environmental benefits of waste prevention, reuse and recycling
• Energy balance of organic and residual waste management

Delegates:

• Learnt from best practice in efficient waste management across Europe
• Met and networked with industry experts in waste management and climate change
• Heard the latest research affecting waste management policy
• Visited prominent waste management facilities in London

Click here to download presentations on the topics discussed at the meeting.

The organic waste cluster group meeting was held on 12 March 2008 in Brussels.

The following four topics were discussed at the meeting:  

• Fighting food waste (residents, schools, canteens, supermarkets and restaurants)
• Home composting
• Community composting
• On-site Composting in public green spaces

Notes from the event can be downloaded below.

The exact date of the paper cluster group meeting has not yet been
fixed but it is expected to be held in Brussels during April 2008. 

Details of the topics to be discussed have not yet been released.

The exact date of the bulky waste cluster group meeting has not yet been fixed but it is expected to be held in May.

Details of the topics to be discussed have not yet been released.

If you would like London Remade to raise particular issues at any of the cluster group meetings please contact ellen@londonremade.com.

Some of the expert cluster group sessions discussed above feed into the ‘100 kg less waste per inhabitant campaign’. Although London Remade is not directly involved in this campaign London Councils is keen that the London boroughs engage with this initiative which involves an element of twinnings between towns or regions on waste prevention technology, knowledge sharing and international agreements for waste prevention tool-sharing. Click here for information about the campaign, including how to become involved.