The background
The Action Plan targets an entirely practical approach – a show case/ demonstration project for SMEs (as a beginning hotels) to enable them to increase the rate of recycling as a first step using a digital application by sending a real-time request to a waste collection company to pick-up separately collected packaging waste (plastic, paper, glass). In addition, it involves SMEs via the digital App to exchange information about the waste accumulated which could be used as a resource among them and to third parties.
The reason for the development of the Action Plan is the lack of efficient policy tools and mechanisms to stimulate sustainable usage of the waste as a resource. There is a clear need to improve tools for B2B communication and improve business models, which will enable more SMEs to increase awareness of the possibilities and benefits of using the waste as a resource.
Our further development of the Action Plan strengthens and encourages the B2B communication via the development of the platform to be accessed on the following website: http://cesme.bamee.org/
Actions
Our Action Plan extented further from the idea of hotels and guest houses, which would normally generate packaging waste to further offer the possibility to the SMEs in Bulgaria to exchange information among each other having the below mentioned functionalities:
- There will be the possibility of a SME to select the type of waste either prouced or needed and to make a dedicted search. We have assigned different code numbers for the differnt kinds of waste. These are administratively defined codes according to the Bulgarian legistation. The platform will allow the SME to exchange in real time informtion, e.g. if a comapny produces a certain kind of building waste and another company could include it in other production, using the waste as a resource. We have to further eleaborate the aspect with the control and tracability about the materials to be exchanged and we are considering options.
- Further on the platform has covered the bigger part of the Bulgarian towns and cities, so that the user could select the geographic location, which bests suits its logistics.
- After selecting the parameters for the kind of waste needed or to be offered and the approximate location, the B2B platform generates data for the available kinds of waste, where, what amount currently is available, what could be the maximal amount to be expected; time of the information is submitted and if it is to be sold, given for free or export oriented.
Important to mention is that at the beginning each user of the platform has to make a registration, which clearly identifies the legal entitiy, the company itself, ID, address, contact details, so that the participants are transperent and visible. The access to the system is possible via valid e-mail and passward registration.
Our approach was inspired as a result mainly of the visit to Greece, where the hotel Sunny Day in Halkidiki was attended. It was demonstrted how the whole hotel could function almost as an Ecosytemn, closing the cycled and use efficiently resources. So we started with the investigation of the possibilties for hotels and then decided to spread over this opportunity, to create a platform created for a huge range of SMEs. For this fact a significant role was played the chance to visit a construction company in Greece producing asphalt to be used in roads construction and the companies, which were visited in Finland showing a very efficient use of wood, closing the loop in a certain company.
Our B2B to be communication platform will allow companies from different fields to communicate with each other, being able to establish relationships, which would be an example for an industrial symbiosis. Thus the platform will ensure a considerable environmental impact, providing usage of unused till now resources, which are considered waste.
Development
It was necessary to carry out a waste management study at the local level among the SMEs to identify the possibilities to apply the principles of the Circular Economy through the active participation of the municipalities in the creation of preconditions for industrial symbiosis among those small and medium enterprises on the territory of a municipality.
Further on a huge effort was put to systematize, structure and analyzing data in order to be used by B2B (business to business) communication platform between small and medium-sized enterprises to promote resource efficiency. This analysis became the basis of the Action Plan.
- April 2018 - finalisation of the concept & setting up of a team to further eleborate on the platform and then establish a team for its promotion;
- June 2018 - concept validation & testing
- September 2018 - a promotion campaign;
- December 2018 – tracability and overview to analyse the participation of the companies using the platform;
- January – December 2019 – potentially in case needed an App is up and running and the results of the increased recycling rates of the organisations involved are measured;
Involvement of stakeholders:
Expected impact on the policy instrument addressed:
Through the successful implementation of the project, it will be demonstrated that the waste could be an effective tool for different industries to increase the recycling rates and provide incentives for industial symbiosis and improved resource efficiancy.
The aim is Influencing decisions makers to change policies and legislation related to the field;
Financial or other resources available:
The foreseen by the project funds under “External expertise” are be used for the development of the Action Plan and in case of necessity additional funding, it will be provided by BAMEE (including in-kind contribution) or other related to the topic funding bodies.