May 2015
Tunisia: National guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
Deutsche Gesellschaft fürInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-565760 Eschborn/Germany
T +49619679-0F +49 61 96 79-11 15E [email protected] www.giz.de In cooperation with
published byThe Regional Solid Waste Exchange of Information and Expertise Network in the Maghreb and Mashreq countries
May 2015
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector
in Solid Waste Management
published byThe Regional Solid Waste Exchange of Information and Expertise Network in the Maghreb and Mashreq countries
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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Table of Contents
TablE of CoNTENTS 3
1. baCkgRouNd 5
1.1 PurPoseofthedocument 5
1.2 rationale 6
1.3 thetunisianinformalsector 7
2. METhodS of ENgagEMENT 9
2.1 mobilizingandbuildingoftrust 9
2.2 communication 11
2.2.1 CommuniCationwithformalstakeholders 11
2.2.2 internalCommuniCationamongBarBéChas 12
2.3 trainingandcaPacitybuilding 13
2.4 gettingorganized 14
3. SoCIal INTEgRaTIoN 15
3.1 Professionalrecognition 16
3.1.1 reCognitionatmuniCipallevel 16
3.1.2 reCognitionatthenationallevel 16
3.2 accesstosocialandhealthservices 17
3.2.1 accesstosocialsecurity 17
3.2.2 accesstosocialaidandhealthcare 18
3.3 corPoratesocialresPonsibility 18
4. TEChNICal INTEgRaTIoN aNd opERaToR ModElS 19
4.1 themainissues 19
4.2 rulesofoPeration 19
4.3 Pilotareasforintegrationinthecityoftunis 20
4.4 oPeratormodelsforintegration 22
4.5 rolesandinterestsofimPlementingPartners 23
4.5.1 BarBéChas 23
4.5.2 muniCipalities 23
4.5.3 neighBourhoodCommittees: 23
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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giZviasweep-netiscurrentlyimplementingtheBmZfinancedprojectentitled“structuralintegrationoftheinformalsectorintothemunicipalsolidwastemanagementintunisia”.theprojectstartedinJanuary2014andendsinJune2015.
theobjectivesoftheprojectaretoimprovetheincomeandlivelihoodoftheinformalsectorworkerswhilealsoimprovingthemunicipalsolidwastemanagementsystemintwopilotmunicipalities.themainareasofactivitywere:
- todesignandimplementpilotactionsinthecitiesoflamarsaandettadhamen-mnihla,totestandlearnfromtheintegrationoftheinformalsectorvaluechainintothepublicservicechain;
- tocarryoutahighleveldialoguewithnationalstakeholdersaimingattheprofessionalizationandthesocial,technicalandfinancialintegrationoftheinformalsector;and
- tobuildcapacityforlocalandnationalgovernanceforinclusivewastemanagement.
1.1. purpose of the document
thepurposeofthepresentdocumentistoconsolidatetheknowledge,experienceandlessonslearnedduringtheprojectimplementation,andtoformulatemeaningfulandapplicableguidancefortheintegrationoftheinformalsectoratthenationallevel.
duringtheprojectimplementationwecarriedoutaneedsassessmentandmaintainedacontinuedcommunicationandoutreachwithstreetwastepickersandcollectors.thecitizensandkeycitizenassociationswereconsultedthroughcustomersurveys,focusgroupsandmeetings.openorsemi-openinterviewswereheldwithlocalandnationalstakeholders.therewerelocalplatformmeetingshostedseveraltimesbythepartnermunicipalitiesoflamarsaandetthadhamen-mnihla.anongoinghighlevelmulti-stakeholderdialoguewassecuredthroughregularmeetingsoftheproject’sfollow-upCommitteeandworkinggroupsforaccesstofinanceandforsocialintegration.
theprojecthasalsodesignedandimplementedtechnicalapproachestointegrationofstreetpickersintothesolidwastemanagementsysteminfourpilotareasinthetwopartnermunicipalities.thesepilotactionsareanopportunitytolearnaboutthemanagementandmonitoringofaninformalsectortechnicalintegration,
1. Background5. ValuE ChaIN INTERVENTIoNS 25
5.1 theextendedProducerresPonsibility(ePr)intunisia 25
5.2 enhancingrecyclingthroughePr 26
5.3 integrationthroughePr 26
5.4 economicinstrumentsforenhancedrecycling 27
6. fINaNCINg 28
6.1 accesstomicro-financing 28
6.2 guaranteefunds 29
7. Road Map foR STRuCTuRal INTEgRaTIoN of INfoRMal SECToR IN SolId WaSTE MaNagEMENT IN TuNISIa 30
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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aswellastherelativeefficiencyofthedifferentintegrationmethods.
thedocumentwillgiverecommendations(i)forrollingouttechnicalintegrationatthemunicipalleveland(ii)forchangestothecurrentlegalandpolicyframeworkenablingthestructuralintegrationoftheinformalsectorintothesolidwastemanagementsystem.
1.2. Rationale
thereisanongoingandevolvingdebateregardingtheinvolvementoftheinformalsectorinsolidwastemanagementingeneral.therationalestartswiththreeprinciplesthataredifficulttocontestincaseofanywastemanagementplanningorimprovement:- first,anyplanforwastemanagementsolutionsorimprovementsshouldstartfromacorrectassessmentoftheexistingsituation.ifthatsituationalreadyincludesaninformalsectoractivityinwastemanagement,thenitisbettertotakethissectorintoconsiderationthantoignoreit;
- second,tobuildonwhatalreadyworksisagoodpractice;and
- third,modernwastemanagementalsomeansawellfunctioningrecycling/valorizationcomponent,includingareliablesupplychainforit.
wedonotarguethatinformalsectorwastepickinginitscurrentformisgoodandshouldbepromoted,butratherthatinformalsectorintegrationshouldbeseenasastrategytowardsmodernizationinthemediumterm.
Boththeinternationalandthetunisianpilotprojects’experiencehasprovenbenefits of integrating the informal sectorintothesolidwastemanagementsystem:
- highercapturerateforrecyclablesandhigherlevelsofdiversionfromlandfilling
- higherincomepotentialforthewastepickers,whobelongtothegroupofthemarginalizedurbanpoor
- lesspressureonauthoritiestoprovidesocialaid- improvedsocialstatusandprofessionalrecognitionfortheinformalsector
- bettercommunitycohesion,lesssocialtension,discrimination,poverty
- betterstreetsecurity- improvedcleanlinessatnocosttothecity- extendedservicecoverageatminimalcosttothecity- reducedcostsofcollectionandlandfilling- newcostefficientserviceoptions
ontheotherhandexcluding the existing informal sectorfromthesolidwastemanagementsystemcarries risks:
- tensionandconflictbetweenformalandinformalwastemanagementsectorandcompetitionforresourcestreams
- stigmatizationandharassmentofwastepickers,likelycreatingsocialproblems
- dirtystreets,poorelymaintainedcommunalbinsandlowstreetsafety
- increaseofpovertylevels,leadingtosocialproblemsofthewastepickers,andbyconsequenceincreasedneedforstatewelfare
whilethebenefitsarenumerous,therearecertainlydifficultiesalongtheway,andsuccessfulintegrationdoesnothappenovernight.someofthemain challenges of informal sector integrationare:
- cooperationwiththeinformalsectorisdifficultandtime-consuming,anddemandsalotoftrainingandcapacitybuildingonbothsides,
- healthandsafetyissues- environmentalcontrol- potentiallyreducedrecyclingvalueofthemunicipallycollectedwastestreams,andaswellasreducedspaceforthemunicipalitytodevelopandsupportnewrecyclingsystems,and
- potentialobstaclesineliminatingchildlabor.
forthesereasons,informalsectorintegrationisrecommendedfortunisiaasamediumterm,
transitionalsolutionstowardamodernmunicipalrecyclingsystem.theprocessofformalizationshouldimproveandmodernizewastemanagementwhilesimultaneouslyimprovingthelivelihoodoftheinformalsectorworkers.asalongtermgoal,integrationshouldleadtooptionsforexitstrategiesforthenextgenerationofwastepickers-eithertoremainintheformal,modernizedrecyclingsystemintunisiancities,orhaveexitoptionstopursueaprofessionoftheirchoicesustainedbyastrongerfamilyandstatebasedsocialsafetynet.weunderstandthatthisvisionismostlikelyalong-termgoalberealizedby-andfor-futuregenerations.
1.3. The Tunisian informal sector
The unseen recyclers of the citiesintunisia,significantinformalsectoractivityinrecyclingcanbefoundatthemarginsofthewastemanagementsystem.informalsectorworkersarecurrentlythebuildingblocksofrecyclingactivities,whichagainconstituteakeyelementofmodernwell-functioning
systems.accordingtothesweep-netCountryreport,themunicipalsolidwasteoftunisiacontains68%organiccomponentsand32%dry,mostlyrecyclableparts,whileonly4%ofthelatterisrecycled.ofthegeneratedtotalof2.423milliontonsofwasteperyear,4%makeupabout9.000tons.minorexceptionssetaside,thesupplychainforrecyclingintunisiaisentirelymadeupoftheinformalsectorsuppliers.
livelihoods through green jobs in recyclingthenumberofinformalsectorrecyclersintunisiaisnotcurrentlyknown.startingwiththeballparkfigureofabout100thousandtonsofpackagingwaste1beingcurrentlyrecycledintunisiaand99%ofthismaterialbeingsuppliedbywastepickers,weestimatethattheirnumberisabout15to18thousandpeople.theaveragewastepickerearnsabout10dinaraday,sellingamixofmaterialsweighingabout15to20kg.theinformalsector‘barbechas’arenotahomogenousgroup;theycomprisewastepickersworkingondumpsitesandonthestreet,smallscalemobilecollectors,junkyards,largercollectors,largerscrapyardsandprocessingunits.manyofthewastepickersareprofessionalorsemi-professional,workinginthetradeformorethan7years,oftenfor30yearsorevenforgenerations.ineffect,mostoftheserecyclersareentrepreneurs,thelackofinvestmentandworkingcapitalbeingtheonlyimpedimentkeepingthemfrommovingupintherecyclingchainandearninghigherandmoresecureincome.asthenumbersshow,thisindustrysustainsasignificantnumberoflivelihoods,which,inaddition,areurbangreenjobs,astheycontributetothecleanlinessofthecitiesandhigherrecoveryratesofrecyclables.
Waste picking is a source of livelihood for vulnerable groupswastepickersoftencomefromsociallydisadvantagedgroups,bywhichwemeanagroupofpeoplewhoareamongthepoorestandmostvulnerablegroupofsociety.thesepickersusuallyworkinrecyclingparttimetoaddtotheirotherincome;theyhavenoequipment,areinthetradeforafewyearsonlyandhavenointerestinstayingintheprofession.thisgroupoftenincludespeoplewhohavemorethanone,sometimes1.sweep-netCountryreport,tunisia,2013,
http://www.sweep-net.org/sites/default/files/tunisie%20ra%20ang_0.pdf
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withtheexceptionofthecurrentproject,itcanbesaidthattheinformalsectorintunisiaispresentlynotorganizedinanyclearlyrecognizableform.theonlyorganizationaroundthebuyersandthesupplychainispurelybusinessdriven.Collectionpoints(scrapyards)arethelocationswherewastepickersmeet,discusstheirtrade,andidentifyeachotherasbeingpartofthesameprofessionandbelongingtothesamesocialstrata.itisherethattheyformlooserelationshipsbasedonmutualrespect.
ifanexternalpartywouldliketocommunicatewiththeindividualsintheinformalsector,aninformalapproachisneeded.formalstakeholdershavenocounterpartyetintheinformalsector;andtheinformalsectorinturnhasnoofficialrepresentation.iftheinformalsectoristobetreatedasastakeholderandapartner,thefirststepsaremobilization,trustbuildingandstimulatingsomeformoforganizationbuilding.
2.1. Mobilizing and building of trust
theprojecttookthefirststepsandapproachedthebarbéchaswithalocalteamforcommunitymobilization.forthispurpose,wehaveusedseveralmethods:privateinformalmeetingswithindividualsandmeetingsinsmallgroups,dialoguewithinawidergroup,andfinallymeetingswiththeinstitutionalpartnersandcivilsocietyrepresentatives.Basedonthiscomprehensiveconsultation,wewereabletocompilealistoftheneedsoftheinformalsectorastheywereidentifiedandconceivedintherespectivesettings:
• Informal meetings with individuals and in small groups:inthebeginning,inordertogetintouchwithandtomobilizethebarbéchas,wemetwastemanagementstaffofthemunicipalitywhoalreadyhadaregularcontactwiththem.wevisitedthewastepickerstogetherwiththemunicipalpersonnelandexplainedtothewastepickersthepurposeofthevisitandimportanceoftheirroleintheproject.ateveryscrapyardwevisited,weaskedconsentoftheownerstotalkwiththebarbéchas,whocametosellthematerialstheyhadcollected.mostofthemcameonceortwiceaweek,somedaily.wehavealsometthebarbéchasworkingatthedisposalsites(atlamarsaandatBorjChakir).
2. Methods of engagement
sickdependants,areraisingchildrenontheirown,arewomen,areelderlylivingonverysmallpensions,orpeoplewithsomekindofhandicapordisease.thisvulnerablegroupneedsadifferenttypeofattention,firstandforemostsocialintegrationandaccesstobasicsocialandhealthservices.
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themeetingswereconductedinthelocalarabicdialect.recordsfromthesemeetingsincludedthename,givenname,familystatus,levelofeducation,position,phonenumber,thetypeofcollectedmaterial,thedailycollectedamounts,problemsandneeds,andthestoriestoldbybarbéchas.theinformationwasdrawnfrominformalconversations.thequestionswerelooselystructured;theexpertshadpreparedachecklistofissuestopursueinadvancethatguidedthedialogueandinterviews.photosweretakenwithpermissionofthewastepickers.attheendofeachday,theexpertstranscribedthenotesandsetuparesearchjournal,includingtherawdata,thestories,theobservationsandquotes.
oneofthefindingsofthesefirstencounterswasthattherewasageneralmistrustonthepartofthebarbéchastowardspublicauthorities.ingeneral,toachieveresultsfromtheirencounterswiththepublicadministrationhadproventobedifficult.inaddition,theyfoundthemselvesincompetitionwiththeformalsectorwastemanagementworkersforcertainvaluablewastestreams.
• organized dialogue:startingduringthefirstweek,largermeetingstookplaceininformallocations:inlamarsa,thisprovedtobeoneofthescrapyardsandinettadhamen-mnihla,inabuildingunderconstruction,madeavailablewiththesupportofascrapyardowner.thesetwoscrapyardowners,whowerethefirsttovolunteerandtogetinvolved,havehelpedtheorganizationofbarbéchasandingettingthemmobilized,andtheyalsoprovidedadviceregardingthechoiceofdatesandofhoursetc.totheteam.followingtheinitialfindingsoftherebeingalackoftrusttowardspublicauthorities,themeetingswereorganizedbetweenthewastepickersandtheprojectteam,withouttheparticipationofanyofficials.
duringthefirstdialogue,whichtookplaceinettadhamen-m’nihla,wemetabout50persons,athirdofwhomwere“socialcases”,andwerenotinterestedintheproject.“socialcases”werepeoplebelongingtovariousvulnerablegroups,suchasthepoor,ill,
disabled,orotherwisevulnerablepersons,butwhoarenotinvolvedinrecyclingactivities.thesepeoplecameinthehopetoreceivesomeaidordonations.duringthefirstmeeting,theobjectiveoftheprojectwasmadeclear,thusduringtheseconddialogue,inlamarsa,wemet20persons,includingwastepickers,collectorsandscrapyardowners,successfullyminimizingthepresenceof“socialcases”.
duringthesedialogues,wepresentedtheprojectandgaveeverypersontheopportunitytointroducethemselfandpresenttheirproblems.weannouncedtheneedforthegrouptodesignatetwoorthreerepresentativestoattendthefuturemeetingswiththeformalstakeholders,andwesetthedateforthefollowingdialogue.thedialogueswerefacilitatedbythenationalexpertandwereheldinthelocalarabicdialect.asimultaneoustranslationintofrenchwasprovidedtotheinternationalexpert,whichallowedhimtocontribute,toaskquestionsandtoalsoparticipateinthedialogue.
• Contacts with the formal partners atthesametime,theteammadecontactwithrepresentativesoftheresponsiblenationalandlocalpublicauthorities,localneighbourhoodassociationsandrepresentativesofthecivilsociety.thisprogressiveandparticipativeapproachallowedtheteamtounderstandtherealityofthesectorandtoevaluatetheneedsofthebarbéchasandcollectors.thepragmaticmethodologywasadoptedtofacilitatethetrueunderstandingofthesectorfromthetechnical,socialandeconomicpointofview.
2.2. Communication
2.2.1. Communication with formal stakeholderswhiletheprojectwasmobilizingandengagingtheinformalstakeholders,italsosetouttomobilizeformalstakeholders.thisprocessstartedbyidentifyingthemainstakeholders,i.e.thoseinterestedininformalsectorintegrationandthosewiththecapacitytoinfluencetheprocess.thiswasdonethroughakick-offworkshopclosetothebeginningoftheproject(april2014),andcontinuedwithfurtherone-to-onemeetings.themainformalstakeholderswerethenationalsolidwastemanagementagencyanged,theformersecretaryofstateforsustainabledevelopment,theministryofhealth,theministryofsocialaffairs,theministryofemploymentandvocationaltraining,theministryofinterior(withitschildprotection
unit),theministriesofYouth,sports,womenandfamily,endainter-arabe,Bts,taysir,tamss,themunicipalities,otherngosandassociations,publicandprivatecompaniesandinformalwastepickersandtransporters.
followingtheneedsassessmentthattookplaceafterthekick-offworkshop,afirstplatformdialoguewasorganizedinseptember2014,withtheparticipationofthemostinfluentialandinterestedstakeholders.thestrategyofaplatformdialoguewaskeptfortheremainderoftheprojectforthelargergroupofstakeholders.atthesametime,asteeringcommitteewassetupforthekeystakeholders,understoodasthosekeyplayerswithhighpowerandinterestsalignedwiththeproject.theyhaveadifferentiatedperspectiveoftheproblem,andtheirfullengagementisneededtoplacetheintegrationofwastepickershigheruponthepoliticalagenda.inthiscase,thekeyplayersarerepresentativesofthepilotmunicipalities,representativesofthegovernorates,anged,tamss,endaandsweep-net.reportsofthestakeholdermeetingsandofthemeetingsofthesteeringcommitteeswerealwaysdrawnupandsenttoawiderlistofinterestedpartners.
inthepilotareas,localstakeholdermeetingstookplacebetweenthemunicipalities,thelocalngosand
«Nothing about us without us”
• thestartoftheprocessrequiressupportofcommunicationexpertsandofalocalteamtoassurecommunitymobilization
• ingeneral,thebarbéchashavetenserelationswiththepublicauthorities,andtheyoftendonottrustthem.• theconsolidationofarelationshipbasedonmutualtrustisessentialforanymobilisation.• preliminaryresearchneedstobeconductedtoidentifysuitableinformalsitesforestablishingfirstdialogueswiththebarbéchas
• thiscommunitymustbeapproachedprogressively,withanopenmind,withoutpreconceptions,andwithoutassumingbeforehandtheneeds,strengthsandweaknessesofthesector
• itisnecessarytounderstandtherealityofthesectorinordertoevaluate-inaparticipativemanner-theneedsoftheinformalsectoratthetechnical,socialandeconomiclevel
LESSONS LEARNED
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associationsandtherepresentativesofthebarbéchas.similarly,localsteeringcommitteeswereestablishedtofollowuponthepilotoperations.inordertokeepthecommunicationchannelsopenbetweenthemunicipalityandthebarbéchas,aliaisonofficeineachmunicipalitywasestablishedandrunbylocalcoordinators.
theotherstakeholderswerekeptinformedthrougharegularnewsletterthatwaseditedbysweep-net,senttoallstakeholdersandpostedonthesweep-netwebsite.projectdocuments,includingarticlesandreportsweremadeavailabletoallstakeholdersandthewiderpublicthroughthesweep-netwebsitewww.sweep-net.org.
2.2.2. Internal communication among barbéchasuntiltheimplementationoftheproject,theinternalcommunicationamongbarbéchaswaslimitedtocasualmeetingsatscrapyardsduringthesaleoftherecyclablematerials.itisveryraretoseebarbéchassittingatatabletogether,sippingcoffeeandchatting.aftersomeoutmeetingsanddialogues,thedesignationofrepresentativesandeventuallywiththestartoftheprocedurestoestablishassociations,therelationsappeartohavebeenstrengthened.thebarbéchascallthescrapyardownersoroftenpassbythescrapyards,toaskfornewsconcerningtheprogressofvariousissues.
additionaltoolsweredevelopedtoimprovethecommunicationamongthebarbéchasandbetweenbarbéchasandotherstakeholders.anewsletterwrittenintunisianarabicwasdesignedwitharticlesregardingtheactivitiesandadvancementoftheassociationsofthebarbéchas,andwasconsequentlyplacedatthecollectionpointsanddistributedtobarbéchas.for
thecommunicationbetweenthebarbéchasandthewiderpublic,afacebookpagewassetup.Concerningthepilotoperations,awarenessraisingmaterials(stickers,fliers,bannersandcalendars)weredevelopedandusedtocommunicatewiththewiderpublic.significantly,thebarbéchaassociationsnowhaveflyersandbusinesscardstopresentthemselvesandtomaketheirassociationknowntopotentialnationalandinternationaldonors.alltheseinstrumentsaredesignedusingavisualidentityandslogansthatweredevelopedtogetherwiththebarbéchas.
2.3. Training and capacity building
duringthefieldwork,aseriesofneedsregardingcapacitybuildingwasidentified.theseareasare:• skillsforrepresentationofcommoninterests,publictalks,andnegotiationwithformalstakeholders
• issuesrelatedtofinancialmanagementandbusinessplanning,andaccesstofinancing
anotherimportantneedwasnotimmediatelypresent,butdevelopedgraduallyamongthebarbéchaastheygrewtounderstandthatalltheirotherneedscanonlybemetthroughadialogueandinpartnershipwiththeformalstakeholders.fromthisarosetheneedto:• getorganized,andobtainanauthorizedrepresentation
processes:thebarbéchas’requestswereidentifiedduringthevariousmeetingsanddialoguesandconcernedfirstofallbasicneedsandrights:health,financialaid,limitationofcompetitionbetweentheinformalsectorgroupandformal,publicserviceswasteworkers.later,astheprocessofempowermenttookon,theneedsofthegroupevolvedtoincorporaterequestsrelatedtoprofessionalrecognitionandrepresentationoftheirinterests,includingtheformationoforganizations(associationsetc.).
• thecommunicationwiththestakeholders,eitheratthelocaloratthenationallevel,needstotakeplacethroughofficialmeetings,wherethemeeting’sminutesarerecordedandsubsequentlyshared.
• asteeringcommittee,bothatthenationalandatthelocallevel,isnecessarytomonitorday-by-daydevelopments,toupdatetheactivitiesoftheprojectandtoreporttheprogressofcommitmentsofthemajorstakeholders.
• aliaisonofficeallowsforapermanentcommunicationchannelbetweentheinformalsectorandthemunicipality.
• variousinstrumentsmayimprovetheinternalcommunicationamongbarbéchas,butnothingcanreplacethedirectcontactbetweentheprojectteamandthebarbéchas.
• inordertocoordinatethisprocess,itisnecessarytohaveatleastonelocalcoordinator,assistedbyvariousexperts.
• theimplementationofthepilotoperationswillbefacilitatedbytheplacementoflocalcoordinatorsinthepilotlocations.
• inordertomaintaincommunication,theinvolvementofexternalfacilitatorsisneededintheshorttomediumterm.thisexternalfacilitationneedstobeintenseinthebeginning,butcanbeprogressivelyreduced,asthegroupwillbeincreasinglyabletorelyontheirownleadersforcommunication.
LESSONS LEARNED
informalsectoridentifiesitsneeds:1. facilitatetheaccesstopreferentialcreditsforbarbéchasandforthecollectors,especiallytopurchasemeansoftransport
2. organisesocialprotection3. establishaone-stop-shoptypeaccesstothelocaladministration/municipality(guichetunique)
4. separationofworkbetweenworkersinthesanitationserviceofthemunicipalityandthebarbéchas
5. facilitatedoor-to-doorcollectionofrecyclablematerials,especiallyofpetbottles
6. Contributetothecreationofanassociationtodefendtheinterestsofbarbéchas/collectorswitharepresentativeofficerecognizedbythepublicandprivatebodies,militatingtorecognizethetrade(uniforms,badgeetc.)
7. Contributetotheimplementationofacooperativeofinformalcollectorsforthecommonuseofassetsandequipment(storageplace,ballpressandshreddingmachine)
LESSONS LEARNED
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2.4. getting organized
duringtheinitialimplementationphaseitquicklybecameclearbothtobarbéchasandtootherstakeholdersthatarepresentationandorganizationoftheinformalsectorisnecessarytoensurethatitsvoicesareheard.thiswasaneedthatemergedandevolvedduringtheproject.
thebarbéchasthemselvesidentifiedthisneedtogetorganized,andtheydiscussedincommunitymeetingsaboutthebestformoforganization.suchdiscussionsdidnotoccurduringthefirstmeetings,butonlycameaboutlater,intheprocessofidentifyingtherouteoftheirintegrationandonceacertainleveloftrustwasbuiltamongthebarbéchas.theywereconsideringanassociationorasyndicate/tradeunion,andbothrouteswerepresentedtothemindetail.
themembersoftheworkinggroupcommittees,specificallytheelectedpresidentsandsecretariesquicklysteppedintotheirroles,identifiedwiththeorganizationandtheirtask,andstartedspeakingup
forthecommunityofbarbéchasinvariousmeetings.theirgrowingsenseofresponsibilitycouldbenotedespeciallyininstanceswhentheysaidoncertainissuestheywerenotinapositiontomakedecisions,andwouldneedtogobackandconsultthemembersoftheassociation.adelegationofdecision-makingpoweralsohappenedalmostinstantly,sincetheypreparedmeetingsinternallyandoncertainpointsofnegotiationwithformalstakeholderstheywereabletomakedecisionsonbehalfoftheirassociation.
1. theissueoforganizationcancomeonlyafterthebuildingoftrust,andafterseveralcommunitymeetingstookplace.
2. theinitiativeneedstocomefromtheinformalsector;itcannotbeimposedonthem.
3. theinformalsectorneedsinformationandcapacitybuildingtounderstanddifferentformsoforganizationandtheirrespectiveadvantagesanddisadvantages.
4. itismostlikelythattheinformalsectorwillneedassistanceinpreparingthelegaldocumentsoftheorganizationandregisteringtheorganization.
5. representationneedstobeapprovedbyalargeandtransparentcommunitymeetingandvotingprocess.
6. themereexistenceoftheorganizationempowerstheinformalsectorandgivesacounterpartforformalstakeholderstotalkto.
LESSONS LEARNED
thesocialintegrationoftheinformalsectorofwastepickersincludesthemeasuresthatallowtheseworkerstobenefitfromtherightsthatemployeesareentitledto:accesstosocialassistance,retirementandunemploymentinsurance.
socialintegrationalsohasamoreintangiblebutequallyimportantelement-thatofrecognizingthesectorasavaluablepartofsocietyanditsworkersaspersonsbelongingtoavalue-generatingprofessionaltrade.thefeelingofself-worthandprofessionalpridecanstarttobebuiltthroughthesimplestformsofrecognitionsuchaspubliclysayingthattheinformalsectoriscreatingvalueforthecity,ormakingamunicipalregistryof
informalsectorworkersandmaintainingadatabaseofthosewhohavetherighttowastepickinginacertainarea.theseobjectivesarediscussedtakingintoaccountthespecificityoftheactivitywhichmustbeclearlydefinedandcouldbesummarizedasfollows:
- theactivityofwastepickingismostlyanindividualactivity.
- workingconditionsareundefined:workinghoursandworkingplacearenotclearlydefined.
- streetpickingisastressful,physicallytiringandoftendangerousactivity.
asitisaninformalactivity,itisclearlyshownthatthewastepickersdonotbenefitfromfacilitiesensuredtoformalsectors.
Consequently,wearerecommendingthatspecificfacilitiesshouldbedevelopedtomeettheirneedsthatfitintothecurrentlegalsystemornecessitatelittlealterationtothecurrentrulesandregulations.
firstlythefollowingaspectsshouldbeconsidered:
3. Social integration
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- thesocialstatusofinformalrecyclersincludesvariouscategoriesintermsofage,gender,familystatus,levelofincome,statusofhealth,etc.strategiesshouldtakeintoconsiderationthedifferencesbetweencategoriesandbeadaptedtomeettheneedsofeachcategoryinapracticalway;
- theaccesstorightsmustbecoupledwiththeacceptanceofcertainobligationssuchaspaymentoftaxesandprivatedeclarationofrevenues.hence,anadditionalsetofrecommendationsisadded,concerningsocialliability,tohelptheinformalactorscopewiththeseobligations.
inthecurrentstateofthelegalframeworkintunisia,theaccesstosocialrightsisconditionedbytheprofessionalrecognitionoftheactivity.thisaccentuatesagaintheneedforprofessionalrecognition.
3.1. professional recognition
theactivityofsortingandrecoveryofrecyclablewastesforre-saleexists,butitisnotrecognized,fromthelegalpointofviewthereforeitdoesnotexist.ontheonehandtheactivitycreatesvaluebyrecoveringmaterials,andontheotherhanditalsocontributestothecollectionofdomesticwastes.
therecommendationsinclude:i.)actionsatthemunicipalleveltointegratetheactivityintheservicechainofcollectionandmanagementofmunicipalwaste,andii.)recognizingthisactivityatthenationallevelasatradeand“greenoccupation”.
3.1.1. Recognition at municipal levelmunicipallevelrecognitionisabasiclevelofacknowledgementfromlocalauthoritiestotheinformalsector.thisisanimportantfirststepinworkingtowardsfullrecognitionofthissector.themunicipalitiesareresponsibleforthewastemanagementofthecities(thisresponsibilityarisesfromtheorganiclawofcommunities95-68).municipalitiesareclosesttotheinformalsectorandknowsomeoftheindividualwastepickerswhointeractwithformalsectorworkers.
theobjectiveofmunicipalrecognitionistoacceptandanchorthepositionofinformalrecyclersasregularpartnersofthemunicipality,meaning:
• recognizedpartnersasactorsinthemanagementofwaste,addingvaluetothecitybyensuringrecoveryofmaterials,savingcollectioncostsanddisposalcosts,
• regularpartners,namelycommittedonthelongruntoenterintocooperationwiththeinformalsector
thisrouteofrecognitionispartofthetechnicalintegrationprocess,whichispresentedinChapter4ofthisguideline.oncerecognizedaspartners,differentmodelsofcooperationarepossible,whicharediscussedinChapter4.
3.1.2. Recognition at the national level professionalrecognitionatnationallevelissubjecttoformaladministrativeprocedures,constraintsandopportunities.
thepurposeistohavethetradeofwastepickingandrecoveryofmaterialsclearlydefinedasaprofessionbyadministrationsandresponsibleorganizations.
accordingtodecreeno.97-2452ofdecember15,1997,providinginstitutionswithanationalnomenclatureofvocations,thisdefinitionistransposedbythe
registrationofthetradeinthenationaldictionaryofprofessionalvocations,whichismanagedbythenationalobservatoryofemploymentandQualificationsundertheministryoflabourandvocationaltraining.
anationalworkinggrouphasbeenestablishedintheframeworkoftheprojectinordertodefinethevariousstepstobefollowedandthelegalprocedureforthetradetobecomepartofthenationallyrecognizedvocations.thesestepsarethefollowing:
- setupofaquestionnairebasedonachecklisttodefinethetasks,skillsandconditionsnecessarytoworkinthetrade.
- meetingsbetweentherepresentativeoftheministryoflabourandofvocationaltrainingandtherepresentativesofthetradetovalidatethedatainthequestionnaire.
- developingadrafttradedefinitionanddescriptionchart.
- thetradechartwillbesubjecttovalidationbyatechnicalcommitteeconsistingofowners’organizationsandtradeunions,representativesofthetrade,ministries,etc.
ithastobenotedthattheregistrationonthelistofrecognizedtradesdoesnotautomaticallycreatelegalrightsforthoseworkingintheprofession.
3.2. access to social and health services
3.2.1. access to social securitytheaccesstothesocialsecurityismainlygovernedbythelaw60-30ofdecember14,1960,organizingthesystemsofsocialsecuritythroughthenationalhouseofsocialsecurity(Cnss).theservicesprovidedare:familyallowances,socialsecurity,pensionsandmedicalinsurance.tobenefitfromalltheseservices,anyworkermustthereforebeaffiliatedtoCnss.
article34ofthelawenumeratesthecategoriesofworkersthathavetherighttoaffiliatewiththeCnss.
theworkersintheinformalsectordonotbelongtoanyofthesecategories,whichemphasisestheneedtointroducethisnewcategory.
technically,therecommendedroadforintegrationisasfollows:
- theinformalsectorworkinginwasterecoverymustbeidentifiedthroughthetradechart.
- Consultationwiththeconcernedministriesmustberealised.
- theministryinchargeoftheenvironmentneedstosendacommunicationpapertotheotherconcernedministriestoexplainthatthetradeneedstobecoveredbythelaw.
- adraftlawneedstobeproposedtothegovernmentbyoneoftheministriesorbytheassociationsofthebarbéchasthroughoneoftheministries.
theseprovisionsapplytothepersonsthathaveadeclaredemployment,andthismeanseitherthattheconcernedpartyshouldbeself-employed,orbeemployed.theassociationscouldactasanemployer.
asconcernstheinformalcollectorsthatworkasself-employedpersons,theprocedurerequireseitherapatentobtainedfromthetaxservices,ortheestablishmentofaformalenterprise.
toaccomplishrecognitionitisrecommendedtoprovidesessionsoftrainingtoinformalrecyclersfocusingontheformalizationofactivities,mainlyontheadministrativeprocedures.indeed(acc.tothe
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tilireport),agreatmajorityofinformalworkersareunawareoftheadministrativeprovisions.
3.2.2. access to social aid and health careinparallelwiththejudicialandadministrativeendeavour,itisrecommendedtodeveloptheaccessofvulnerableinformalrecyclerstosocialaidandtofreemedicalcare,toansweremergencysituations,withoutwaitingforaformalisationprocessthatcouldbeverytimeconsuming.
thisrequirestheimplementationofamedicalorsocialmonitoringsystemintheframeoftheassociationofworkersoftheinformalsector.
ithasbeenproposedtoorganizesuchasystemaroundthefollowingfacilities:
- establishingandstaffingareceptiondeskforevaluationofthesocialsecuritystatusofsociallyvulnerablerecyclerswithinaliaisonoffice;
- regularpartnershipwithasocialworkertowhomthevulnerablepersonscouldbedirected;
- regularsessionsofinformation/awarenessraisingregardinghealthandsafetyissuesinwastepickingandrecycling
- medicalpreventioncampaignsandvaccinationcampaignsbytheCareCentresoftheministryofhealthorbyngos.
3.3. Corporate social responsibility
economicactorswhoestablishcorporatesocialresponsibilityprinciplesandprogramsaimatprovidingthemostfavourableenvironmentalandsocialconditionsfortheiremployees,theirregulartradingpartnersandthecommunitiestheyinteractwith.
informalrecyclershavetwofinal«clients»:
- intermsoftheactivityofcollectingwaste,thewastepickersarepartofthepublicservicechainofwaste
removal;assuch,theyareserviceprovidersofthemunicipalitiesor,moredirectly,theinhabitants.
- intermsoftheactivityofsupplyingrecyclablematerialstotherecyclingvaluechain,theyareregularsuppliersofthelargecollectorsandrecyclingfactories.
fortheimplementationofsocialresponsibilityoftheenterprisesdealingwiththeinformalworkers,therespectiveenterprisesmustbeidentifiedatfirst.thisisnotveryeasyfortheformalsector,becauseundercurrentlegislation,admittingtothepurchaseofrecyclablesfrominformalprovidersisconsideredanoffense.
itisthereforerecommendedtoproceedwithcautiontoobtainallthenecessaryinformationandtoestablishapositivedialoguewiththeseenterprises,preferablythroughsmallcollectorsandprofessionalorganizations(likeutiCa-l’uniontunisiennedel’industrie,duCommerceetdel’artisanat).
specifically,thecommitmentofenterprises,ofmunicipalitiesandneighbourhoodassociationscouldtakethefollowingforms:
- guaranteeofaminimumpriceofpurchaseanddirectaccesstobuyerswhoguaranteethosepricesfortherecyclablematerials.theconditionsforthisarrangementcouldbenegotiatedannuallybytheassociationsofinformalsectorworkersinexchangeofacommitmenttodeliveraspecifiedquantity.
- takingontheliabilityfortheentire,oratleastpartof,thesocialsecuritycontributionsofinformalrecyclersmembersofanassociationandadheringtocertaincooperationagreementswithformalpartners.
- Contributiontothepurchaseofindividualhealthandsafetyprotectionequipmentfortheinformalrecyclers.
- Contributiontotheorganizationofhealthprotectionandvaccinationcampaigns.
- actingasguaranteesformicro-credits
4.1. The main issues
Competition for materialsintunisia,neitherintegrationnoraccommodationoftheinformalsectorandthepublicservicechainexists.Bothworkinparallelandoftencompetewitheachotherforthesamematerials.theinformalsectorisworkingasasupplieroftherecyclingvaluechainandislookingforthesamematerialsasthepublicservicewastemanagementworkers,whoarepaidnotforrecycling,butfordeliveringthewastecollectionservice.
thistakestheformoftruckpicking.oftenthepublicsectorworkersareseparatingvaluablematerialsfromwasteandaresellingthemtotherecyclingvaluechain.thiscreatescompetition,tensionandoftenconflictbetweenthepublicsectorworkersandthebarbéchas.
littering and nuisance for citizensthewastepickersorganizesothattheydotheircollectionroutesjustbeforethepubliccollectionserviceisscheduled,toensurethattheyhaveaccesstothebestmaterials.theyoftenworkinarush,sometimesatnightwhenvisibilityispoor,andoftenleaveamessaroundtheircontainersornearthewastesetoutforpick-up.thereforethewastepickersareblamedforleavingamessonthestreets.
Recycling value chain public collection service
drivenbythevalueoftherecyclablematerial
drivenbythedemandforwasteremoval
informalsectorworkers publicsectorworkers
4.2. Rules of operation
itisrecommendedtofurtherdevelopthealreadyexistingdraftagreementrulesofoperationtoincludeatleastthefollowingitems:
- rolesandobligationsofallimplementingandsupportingactors
- rulesofoperation- technicalandlogisticalspecifications- Cleanlinessrequirementsofthemunicipality- penaltiesincaseofnon-compliance
itshouldbenotedthatpenaltiesincaseofnon-complianceareunlikelyinthepilotingphase,howeversomesortofpublicrecognitionofgoodbehaviour,oracompetitiononthefacebookpageoftheprojectcouldsubstituteformalenforcementinthepilotphase.
4. Technical integration and operator models
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4.3. pilot areas for integration in the city of Tunis
fourpilotdistrictswereselected,twoinlamarsaandtwoinettadhamen-mnihlabasedonanagreementamongtheimplementingparties.
Baselinesettingpriortostartingthepilotactivities,abaselinewasestablishedforrecyclingratesandtheproductivityoftheworkofthebarbéchas.theseindicators,togetherwithcleanlinessindicatorsweremonitoredregularlyduringimplementation.
Three methods of integration were piloted:door-to-doorcollectionofsource-separatedrecyclablesinthismethod,selectedwastepickersgofromhousetohouseatapre-establishedtimeandcollectsource-separatedplasticandcans.theparticipatinghouseholdsallreceivedaplasticbagforsourceseparatingrecyclables.thehouseholdswhopreferabell-ringsystemplaceastickerontheirdoorsignallingthattheywishtobecalledupon.otherhouseholdsplacetheirrecyclablesoutsidetheirhomeinaconvenientplaceforthebarbéchas.thematerialsareoftenhangingonanailorahooktopreventaccessofstraydogsandcats.
overall,thishasproventobeapositiveexperience,wheretheparticipatinghouseholdsandthebarbéchasbothkepttheircommitments,andtheindicatorsshowpositiveresultsintermsofincreasedrecyclingratesandproductivityratesforthebarbéchasinvolved.
Collection of source-separated from communal mesh boxesinthismethod,theresidentsplacetheirsource-separatedrecyclablematerialsinameshboxplacedinthevicinityoftheirhome.thebarbéchasresponsibleforcollectionhaveakeytothemesh-boxesandcollectthematerialsatapre-establishedtime.
thisexperiencehasproducedmixedresultsassomeofthemeshboxeswerestolenandothersvandalized.theamountofrecyclablescollectedfrommeshboxesislowerandtherecyclingrateislowerthanincaseofdoor-to-doorcollection.
The mixture of the two methods abovethemixtureofthetwomethodsabovewasalsopilotedinlamarsaandtheresultsofthisexperimentalsoshowbetterresultsthanmeshboxesalone,buttheyaresomewhatlesserthandoor-to-doorcollectionalone.
thesuccessofthevariousmethodsalsodependedonthespecificsoftheneighbourhoodwhereitwasimplementedandtheconditionsthatexistedthere,andcanonlybepartiallyattributedtothemethodof
collectionused.theconditionsthatcontributedtothesuccessofaparticularneighbourhoodinclude:- ahighlyactiveinformalsectorinthedistrict- relativelylowincome- activeinvolvementofbarbéchasinawarenessraising.
inallcases,technicalintegrationinvolvedthefollowingcontrolfactors:- acustomersatisfactionsurveytounderstandtheneedsandpreferencesofthecitizens
- anawarenessraisingcampaignwiththeinvolvementofvolunteersandinsomecasesofthebarbéchasthemselves
- supportwithplasticbags,containers,equipmentfromthepartoftheformalstakeholders
- distributionofuniformsandprotectionshoestobarbéchas
- theregistrationofbarbéchasengagedintheprojectintheassociations
- givingoutbadgesthatauthorizeBarbéchastocollectinacertainpilotarea
Data point Unit of measurement Frequency
Recycling rate
petcollected kg/week/district weekly
Canscollected kg/week/district weekly
recyclingrateforpet %,Calculated weekly
recyclingrateforcans %,Calculated weekly
productivity of work
efficiencyoflogistics kg/kmperbarbecha weekly
efficiencyoflogistics kg/routeperbarbecha weekly
productivity kg/day/barbecha weekly
Cleanliness
litteringonthemainstreets description,photo Bi-weekly
litteringontheinsidestreets description,photo Bi-weekly
Municipal services
adherencetoschedule description weekly
adherencetorouting description weekly
1. long-termawarenessraisingandengagementwithcitizensusersisnecessaryforsourceseparationandintegration.
2. door-to-doorcollectionofdryrecyclablesbyinformalsectorworkersisasuccessfulmodel.
3. institutionalsupportfromthemunicipalitythroughprovisionofstorageplace,equipment,andaccesstohealthcare,orpaymentfortheservice,wouldlikelyimproveresults.
4. givingoutuniformsandidentificationbadgesthatmakebarbéchasrecognizableisessentialtoobtainabetter(self-)perceptionofthebarbéchas.
LESSONS LEARNED
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4.4. operator models for integration
astrust-buildinganddialogueevolves,sodothemethodsofcooperation.allpartnerspreferamoreloosecooperationatthebeginning,andoncetheygainconfidence,theywilllikelymoveontomoreformalcommitments.
Step 1:Cooperationagreementwiththeorganizationofthebarbéchas
thisistheformofcooperationthattookplaceintheprojectanditwasthechoiceofthepartnerstocooperateinthismanner.thiscamedowntosittingtogetheratformalplatformmeetingsandagreeingontheroles,obligationsandrightsoftheimplementingpartners:themunicipality,theassociationoftheBarbéchasandtheneighbourhoodassociations.
afterthefirstmonthofthiscooperation,andhavingseenafairlysolidcommitmentfromallpartners,themunicipalityoflamarsasteppeduptoofferaservicecontracttotheassociationforcleaningthebeachesofthemunicipality.aneighbourhoodassociationofferedtopayforthesocialandhealthcontributionsofthosebarbéchaswhoareservingtheirneighbourhoods.
Step 2a:servicecontractwiththemunicipalityoraprivateoperator
oncetheworkingrelationshipisestablished,directservicecontractsorsubcontractsbetweentheBarbechaorganizationandprivateoperatorscontractedbythemunicipalityarepossible.theexperiencefromotherintegrationmodelsshowsthatthisrequiressimplifiedtenderingprocesssothatBarbechaorganizationscanapply.supporttotheBarbéchasintheformoftrainings,workingequipmentandadvancepaymentisneededtomakethismodelsuccessful.
theservicecontractsmanagedbymicro-organizationsofpreviouslyinformalsectorworkerslikelyneedtoberelativelysmallscale(atleastatthebeginning)anditisanticipatedthatazone-basedmicro-managementis
requiredforthistypeofserviceprovision.
Step 2b:formalcooperationbetweenthemunicipalityasserviceproviderandtheinformalrecyclersassociation.
incasetheinformalrecyclersdonotentertheservicechainbutstayinthecollection,tradingandprocessingofrecyclables,contractscanbemuchsimplerandcanconsistofmerelypayingafeeequaltothesavedcostofcollectionandlandfillingtothosewastepickerswhoareregisteredtotheassociationandadheretoacodeofconduct.thismodelisemployedinBogota,Colombia.
signingacontractwithamunicipality,inordertoprovideremuneratedservices,issubjecttotheconditionsstipulatedbythecodeofpublicsector.thisdemandsthecreationofenterprises.theinformalsectorisnotyetsufficientlystructuredandneedsassistancetoaccommodateconditions.therecentprovisionconcerningsocialenterprisespresentlyrestrictstheeligibilitytothosewhohavegraduatedfromuniversities.
analternativetotheseroutescouldbethedirectemploymentaspartofthecitystaff.whilethisseemstobefeasibleincertaincountriesfortunisia,isdoesnotseemattractivesinceemploymentisbasedonanopencompetitionandisnotfavouringinformalsectorstaff.
4.5. Roles and interests of implementing partners
thethreeimplementingpartnersagreedtocooperatetogetherinthepilotdistrictsarerepresentativesof:- theBarbechaassociations- themunicipalities- theneighbourhoodCommittees/Citizenassociations
thethreepartieshadtomakedecisionsonorganizational,technical,logisticsandfinancingaspects.inthefollowingsections,theaimsandrolesofeachpartyarepresentedbrieflyinthewaytheyweredescribedinthethree-partitecooperationagreementsthatstandatthebasisofthepilotprojects.
4.5.1. barbéchasInterests:- professionalrecognition- increasedearningpotential- supportintermsofstorageplaceorequipment- accesstocreditsinordertobuytransportequipmentandotherequipment
obligationsa. takeontheresponsibilityofcollectingpetandcansfromthehouseholdsinthepilotzones(throughdoorbellorpickupofrecyclablesfromthefrontofthehouse).
b. maintainagoodrelationwiththecitizens(recognizecitizensascustomersofaservice).
4.5.2. MunicipalitiesInterests:- reducewasteaccumulationandlitteringthroughabetterseparationoftasksbetweenthemunicipalworkersandthebarbéchas:
- increaserecyclingratesandseparatewastetobelandfilled
- increasetheenvironmentalcomplianceandcleanlinessoftherecyclingvaluechain,especiallycollectionpoints
- improverecyclingrates- enhancecooperationwiththebarbéchas
obligations:a. provideaphysicallocationandparttimestafffortheliaisonoffice
b. Coordinatingtheactivitiesinthepilotdistrictc. provideapersonalizedbadgetothebarbéchas,indicatingthepilotdistrict
d. Coordinatetimingofthepublicservicewiththeinformalsectorservice
4.5.3. Neighbourhood committees:Interests:- increasedcleanlinessandrecyclingobligationsa. Contributetothecarryingoutthecustomersatisfactionsurvey
b. Contributetotheawarenessraisingcampaignc. Contributetomanagementandmonitoringd. participateinregularmeetingwiththemunicipalstaffandthebarbéchaassociationimplementingtheproject
1. improvedusersatisfaction,recyclingandcleanlinesslevels.
2. Barbechaandcommunityrelationsimprovedthroughthepilotprojects
3. thebarbéchahaveseenpotentialinimprovingtheproductivityoftheirwork;moreimportantly,theygainedasenseofprideintheirwork.
4. mediumtolongtermmunicipalinstitutionalsupporttotheassociationisneeded,specificallyintermsoftrainingandcoordination.
5. financialorphysicalsupportisneededfromthemunicipalityintermsofbettertransportequipment,storageplaceetc.toobtainlong-termresults.
6. neighbourhoodcommitteeshavethepotentialtostepupandtakeoversomepartsofmunicipalobligationsintermsofmonitoringandcoordination,andeventhesupporttothosebarbéchasworkingintheirarea.
LESSONS LEARNED
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recyclingisinpartdrivenbypurelymaterialvalueandinpartenhancedthroughmarketinterventionsandeconomicinstrumentssuchasincentives,taxcuts,buybacksystemsandextendedproducerresponsibility(epr).
thegovernmentoftunisiahadanactiveroleinstructuringandoperatingthevaluechainforplasticpackagingintunisia.indeed,untilthecreationoftheeco-lefsystembydecreeinapril2001,therewasnocollectionofplasticintunisia,whilethepaper/cardboard,metalandglassweresubjecttoanactiveandintenseinformalrecycling.eco-lefhasbeentheoriginofthedevelopmentofmorethan320eco-lefpointsthatallowedthecollectionofaround16,000tonsayearofplasticpackagingwastes.dependingonthetypeofpolymer,70to90%ofthecollectedplasticwasteisrecycledthroughmorethan100agreementswithrecyclers.eco-lefhashelpedtocreate18,000jobsandaroundthirtymicro-enterprisesthroughthemechanism41ofthenationalemploymentfund.furthermore,thesystemhasdefinedpricesforplasticpackaging(petbottles,hdpebottles,filmsandldpebags,etc.),therebyjump-startingthemarketfortheserecyclables.
5.1. The Extended producer Responsibility (EpR) in Tunisia
thefirstchallengeofextendedproducerresponsibility(epr)istoimplementeffectivelythepolluter-paysandrecover-producerprinciples.intunisia,theproducersofplasticpackagingandthemanufacturersofconsumergoodsarecurrentlyexercisingthisresponsibility
5. Value chain interventions
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collectivelythroughaneco-organization,eco-lef,whichfinancestheselectivecollectionandrecyclingofpackagingwaste.
however,eco-lefdoesnotfullyrespectthespiritofepr.indeed,financingisnotbasedonindividualcontributionspaidbyeachproducerbasedontheiroutputstoencouragethemtoreducewastethroughtheintroductionofeco-designinproductandpackagingandthusreducetheirtaxes.onthecontrary,eco-lefisfinancedthroughtheso-calledenvironmentalprotectiontaxwhosebaseisthesalepriceoftheproductandnotthecostofcollectionandtreatmentofpackagingwaste.infact,thistaxcollection,chosenforobviousreasonsoftaxefficiency,hasnodirectlinkwiththe«wastegenerationpotential«ofproducts,orwiththeabilityofproducerstoreducetheenvironmentalcostoftheend-user.thus,thissystemdoesnotconveyanyecologicalincentivestorewardtheindividualeffortofprevention.
5.2. Enhancing recycling through EpR
therefore,itisstronglyrecommendedtoredesigneco-leftomakeitanoperationaltooltopromotewasteprevention,basedonthreeprinciples:1) makeadirectlinkbetweenbetweenthecontributionofeachproducerandtheenvironmentalcostoftheproductstotheenduser;
2) providefullcostrecoveryforpackagingwastemanagedbymunicipalities;
3) introducequantifiableobjectivesforprevention,thatistargetsforreducingpackagingwastebyproducerperstream.
inpractice,developingacomprehensiveandgenuineerppolicyshouldbebasedonthefollowingaspects:• identificationofparticipantsinthescheme:wasteproducers,importers,retailers,collectors,recyclers,shouldbeencouragedtobeapproachedfirstviaincentivesandintimeviataxesinordertocollectandrecyclealltheusedproductsandgoods.
• initiateeco-design:forproducers,encouragedesigningproductsless«rich»inwastegenerationandmorepronetobeingrecycledthroughspecificincentivessuchassubsidiesandtaxcredittoresearchanddevelopmentexpenses,exemptionsfromvat,consumptiontaxes,customdutiesonmanufacturingequipmentandrawmaterialsthatreducewastegeneration(cleanerproduction)andtaxesforgoodsandproductsthatgenerateexcessivewaste.
• establishsustainablefinancingmechanismsforthemanagementofthesevaluechains,throughdepositsystemslinkedtoquantitiesandcharacteristicsofwastestreams.thesemechanismswillbedirectlymanagedbythesector.Barbéchasshouldbepartofthesystemasmainsuppliersoftherecycleablematerials.
5.3. Integration through EpR
Barbéchascurrentlycannotdirectlyaccessthecollectionpointsmanagedbyeco-lef–whichareopenonlytoholdersofcommerciallicense.inconsequence,themajorityofthebarbéchascannotbenefitfromthehighpriceguaranteedbyeco-lef,andarethereforeobligedtouseintermediariesofferinglowerprices.anged’spolicyistograduallywithdrawfromtheoperationofcollectionpointsandletthembeoperatedprivately.therefore,therealbeneficiariesofguaranteedpricesaretheseprivateoperatorsofcollectionpoints
whoarefreetofixpurchasepricesdownstreamwithbarbéchas.inordertostrengthentheregulatoryroleofeco-lefandmodifythecurrentsystemintoaninclusivevaluechainintervention,itisrecommended:- toallowbarbéchastoselldirectlytoeco-lefpoints.themarketwilllikelyreacttothismeasureandmiddlemensuchascollectorsandtraderswillchargelimitedmarginswhenpurchasingfrombarbéchas.
- tofocusinterventiononcertainrecyclablesthatwouldbeeligiblebutarecurrentlynotcollected
- tofocussubsidizedpricesforthoseplastictypesthatdonotcurrentlyhaveafullydevelopedmarket,butarepartoftheeprandcanbefundedfromepr
- tosetupabufferstocktohelpthesectorabsorbeconomicshocks(suchasthosein2008-2009or2012)
- tofostermunicipalitiestoenterintolong-termcollectioncontractswithbarbéchas.indeed,barbéchasareunabletoresiststrongfluctuationsinoilprices(andhencethepriceofplasticresins).
inadditiontothoserecommendations,itisalsodesirabletostrengthentheabilityofbarbéchastodirectlyreachmarketsofthecollectedplastics.oneoftheconstraintsoftherecoveryofplasticwasteisthelowproductivityofrecyclers,duebothtotheirlargenumber(over400havealicenseandmuchmoreareinformal,
accordingtodatafromanged)andthelimitedamountsofcollectedplastic.therefore,itisrecommendedtoreducethenumberofrecyclers,tostopissuinglicensestonewrecyclingcompaniesforplasticpackagingwasteandpotentiallyre-distributelicensesbasedoninclusiveefficiencycriteria.
5.4. Economic instruments for enhanced recycling
furthereconomicinstrumentsthatcouldpromotehigherdemandforrecyclables,thusbetterearningpotentialforrecyclers:• taxincentives:- totalorpartialexemptionfromcustomsduties,vatand/orconsumptiondutiesontheacquisitionoftoolsandmachinesforproductionofgoodsmadefromrecycledrawmaterial
- totalorpartialexemptionfromvatand/orconsumptiontaxesonacquisitionoftherecycledrawmaterial
- totalorpartialexemptionfromvatand/orconsumptiontaxesonthesaleofgoodsandproductsmadefromrecycledmaterials
• marketinstrument(otherthanepr):- assigningapercentageofpublicprocurementbidstoproductsandgoodsmadefromsecondarymaterials;
• subsidies:- partiallysupported/cappedinvestmentexpenditurefortheacquisitionoftoolsandmachinesforproductionofgoodsmadefromrecycledrawmaterial;and
- grantsupportofr&dfordevelopmentandmarketingofgoodsandproductsmadefromrecycledmaterials.
• eco-lefhasbeenagoodstarttoimplementplasticwastecollectionandrecycling.
• eco-lefneedstobere-designedtobecomeagenuineandeffectiveeprpolicy,meaningthatindividualtaxcontributionshouldbecalculatedinordertopromoteproductswithlowwastegeneration.Quantitativeobjectivesforwastereductionshouldbeintroduced.
• inclusiveeprispossiblethroughloweringmarketbarriersforbarbéchas,givingthemaccesstoguaranteedprices
LESSONS LEARNED
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6.1. access to micro-financing
severalmicro-financeinstitutionscurrentlyoperateintunisiabutfewareactuallyinterestedinbarbéchasfinancing,mostlyduetotheirlackofunderstandingoftheirbusinessandtheirneeds.
severalmeetingswereheldwiththesefinancialinstitutionsandaworkinggrouphasbeensetuptoidentifywaystoeaseaccessforbarbéchastomicro-financing.
themainfinancialneedsofbarbéchasarerelatedtotheacquisitionofimprovedtransportationmeansandsimplebailingandprocessingequipment.Besidesthis,someofthemneedaloanforworkingcapitalasbeingabletobuyandstockmaterialsisimportantinthebusiness.
themainbarriersidentifiedarethelowamountofloansconnectedtotheperceivedlimitedrepaymentcapacityofbarbéchas,thecostofborrowing,andaboveall,theguaranteerequiredbymicro-financeinstitutions.whiletheBtsdoesnotformallyrequireaguaranteeasotherfinancinginstitutionsdo,itsuffersfromalowrecoveryrateof60%ofthecredits,theotherinstitutionsrequireeithertheguaranteeofanemployee,agrouporanassociation,oraclientoftherespective
financinginstitutionor,ifpossibleincaseofastandardequipmentapledgeontheequipment.
itshouldbenotedthatfollowingdiscussionswiththebarbéchas,endaandtaysirmicrofinanceinstitutionshavesetupspecificfundinginstrumentstomatchtheneedsandthesituationofbarbéchas.however,thebankguaranteeissueisstillnotaddressedandremainsthemajorobstacleforaccesstofinancing.
moreover,liaisonofficesinthetwopilotmunicipalitieshelpedfacilitatecontactsbetweenbarbéchasandmicro-financeinstitutions.itisthereforerecommended
6. Financing
• increasedunderstandingoftheactivityofresourcerecoveryandrecyclingonthepartofthemicro-financeinstitutionswillenablethecreationofsuitablefinancialproductsforbarbéchas
• financingisneededfortransportandequipmentforbaling,processingandstoring
• financingisneededtosupportworkingcapital• Bankguaranteesarecurrentlyanimportantbarriertothebarbécha’saccesstomicro-financing.
LESSONS LEARNED
toextendthispositiveexperiencetocontinuestaffindtheseliaisonofficesastrueone-stopbureausdedicatedtobarbécha’sproblemsoffering,amongotherservices,assistanceandtraininginaccesstofinanceandimprovedbusinessskills.
6.2. guarantee funds
ContactwasmadewiththetunisianguaranteeCompany(sotugar)tounderstandthetermsofitsmission.itappearsthatsotugarprovidesbankguaranteestolocalbanks,forloansborrowedbyprojectsponsorswhocannotgiveanyexternalpledgeontheirassetsagainstthepaymentofafeeamountingtoabout1%oftheloan.theclaimforthisguaranteeismadebythelendinginstitution.anyfinancialinstitutionasdefinedintheBankingactiseligibleforthismechanism-andthus,inparticular,Bts,endaandtaysirmicrofinanceareeligiblesincetheenactingofthenewlawonmicro-financing.
furthermore,thepossibilityhasbeenexploredthatangedormunicipalitiesvouchforbarbéchastoobtainmicro-credit.itturnsoutthatangedgrantedinthepastamoralguaranteeattherequestofBtsto5collectorswhohavecontractswiththeagency.however,angeddoesnotwanttoextendthisexperience,givenitslackofcapacities.themunicipalitiesoflamarsaandettadhamenhavearguedthepossibilityforbarbéchastopledgetheircontractswithmicro-financeinstitutions-theonlyproblemisthatbarbéchascanonlystrengthentheirtechnical(transportation)orfinancial(workingcapital)capacitiesonlyafterhavingsignedcontractwiththemunicipalities.
followingthediscussionheldwithmicrofinanceinstitutionsandrepresentativesofbarbéchas,ittranspiresthatitispossibletoaddresstheissueoftheguaranteerequiredforallmicrofinancingbytwoways:• askforasotugarguaranteeandhavethebeneficiariesoftheloanssupportthecostoftheguarantee;or
• encouragebarbéchastoestablishacompanyoraprofessionalassociation
• theimplementationofabankguaranteesupportedbyeitherangedormunicipalitiescannottobeseriouslyconsideredatthecurrentstage
• sotugarcouldprovideaguaranteegiventhecostofguaranteeiscovered.acooperationbetweenmicro-financinginstitutionsandsotugarisstronglyencouraged.
• theopportunityandworkingsoftheprofessionalassociationsofbarbéchasguaranteeingforitsmembersshouldbeexplored.
• advancepaymentsonservicecontractsandservicecontractswiththemunicipalitiescouldactasguaranteesinthemediumtolong-termfuture.
LESSONS LEARNED
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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improvingthemswmanagementsystem
improvethelivelihoodoftheis
selectingthepilotareas
establishingthebaseline
monitoringresults
professionalrecognition
accesstosocialandhealthcareservices
operatormodels
rulesofintegration
accesstofinancingsources
integrationthoughepr
participatoryapproach
Coveringalltheidentifiedneeds
Balancingthepublicinterestwithinformalsectorneeds
trainingsforinformalsector
awarenessraisingforlocalauthoritiesandpublic
organizingtheinformalsector
Buildingtrust
Communicationstrategy
needsassessment
7. Road Map for Structural Integration of Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management in Tunisia
Tunisia: National Guidelines for Structural Integration of the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management
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Published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Registered offices : Bonn and Eschborn, Germany
Solid Waste Exchange of Information and Expertise Network in Mashreq and Maghreb Countries (SWEEP-Net) GIZ Office Tunis B.P. 753 - 1080 Tunis Cedex - Tunisia T +216 71 28 05 57 [email protected] www.giz.de/www.sweep-net.org
Responsables Markus Luecke Julia Koerner Authors AIlyes Abdeljaouad Karim Zin El Abidine Abdelhamid Ghribi Reka Soos Dominique Thaly
Quality Review Anne Scheinberg Draft 3rd May 2015
Photos GIZ/SWEEP-Net
Layout i.Grafik
GIZ is responsible for the content of this publication.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
In cooperation with Agence Nationale de Gestion des Déchets (ANGed)