ECOWARE LIFE98 ENV/B/000254 - Ecology Cluster for Overall Waste Re-engineering
Overview
Background & policy context:
The monitoring of garbage and waste material flows generated by port and port-related activities, such as warehousing, stevedoring and cargo handling, is becoming an increasingly important management issue in European Port Policy. In order to tackle increasing volumes of waste materials in ports, an efficient garbage and waste management system is urgently required. This management system should not be limited to one application in a single port but should constitute a port policy for all European ports. In addition, the ecological effects of increasing activity, and the related increase in waste volumes, increases handling costs. In order to contain these costs, the management of waste should be re-engineered via an integrated and flexible garbage and waste management system that optimises recycling possibilities of waste and garbage and that efficiently handles the remaining volumes.
Objectives:
The aim of the project was to create an Ecology Cluster for Overall Waste Re-engineering in Belgian seaports, and to develop an integrated management system in all Belgian ports that would be transferable to other European ports via a targeted dissemination strategy. The Ecoware management system would emphasise all aspects relating to the collection, sorting, recycling, transport and disposal of non-recyclable waste.
- Ecoware had five key objectives:
- identification and mapping of waste and garbage material flows in Belgian ports (ECOMAP)
- establishment of a Flemish Ecology Testlab (FET) to create and test an electronic sytem for Ecology Management and Control (ECOMAC) and Ecology Routing and Logistics (ECOROL)
- implementation of an efficient Integrated Technology (IT) system to guarantee a long-term structured Community solution (ECOTECH)
- transfer of the Ecoware know-how via a targeted training programme (ECOTRAIN)
- large scale dissemination of the Ecoware results and know-how to other European ports and relevant public and private policy makers (ECOTEL) with the objective of stimulating the development of an integrated pan-European waste and garbage management policy.
The project's results were expected to contribute to :
- the re-engineering of existing garbage and waste handling management procedures through an IT management and control system, and through the use of an efficient and integrated routing and logistics system
- the reduction of present volumes of port and port-related garbage and waste volumes
- the consolidation of existing environmental legislation, based on the results of the Ecoware pilot project, and focusing on the prevention/reduction of waste and garbage volumes.
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