Waste in humanitarian Operations: Reduction and Minimisation

Project Information

WORM

Grant agreement ID: 101135392

DOI

10.3030/101135392

Project closed

EC signature date 15 November 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 499 664,60

Coordinated by

SVENSKA HANDELSHOGSKOLAN
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - WORM (Waste in humanitarian Operations: Reduction and Minimisation)

Reporting period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project “Waste in humanitarian Operations: Reduction and Minimisation” (WORM) aimed to design guidelines and support actions for circular economy in the humanitarian sector. It integrated bio-based technological solutions, leveraged procurement for waste reduction, improved waste management methods and prioritised the sustainable livelihoods of waste pickers. WORM focused on two selected settings: field hospital deployments and humanitarian livelihood programmes with a waste picking component. Following a collaborative and multi-actor approach, WORM brought together medical and humanitarian organisations, procurement service providers, logistics providers, waste management services and academic partners.

Across these settings, the project focused on several cross-cutting focus areas:
• the integration of bio-based technological innovation solutions in the humanitarian context,
• using procurement as a gatekeeper for waste avoidance, and gateway to integrate innovative solutions,
• improvements in waste management, and the use of less polluting waste treatment methods,
• a specific focus on the sustainable livelihoods of waste pickers, and
• policy development, advocacy and a heightened local awareness of improved WM in the relevant local contexts.

SSH particularly supported the work with waste management business models, and the engagement with the informal waste management community.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Main achievements towards WORM's five objectives:

O1. Integration of bio-based technological innovation solutions in the humanitarian context.
A1. Multi-actor approach (MAA) for prioritising product groups, and LCAs of these; SOPs for their circularity in field hospitals, and for handovers to transfer responsibilities from field hospitals to local partners.

O2. Using procurement as a gatekeeper for waste avoidance, and gateway to integrate innovative solutions
A2. MAA to select sustainability criteria in procurement, development of a dedicated WORM procurement platform, integration of prioritised product groups in the platform, and use of the platform for RFIs. SOPs integrating procurement guidelines.

O3. Improvements in waste management, and the use of less polluting waste treatment methods
A3. Evaluation of alternative methods for medical waste treatment (alternatives to incineration such as disinfection), and LCAs of the waste treatment of bio-based alternatives. Guidelines on waste management in field hospital settings.

O4. A specific focus on the sustainable livelihoods of waste pickers
A4. Assessment of trade-offs and (un)intended consequences of introducing bio-based solutions and identify potential mitigation strategies to combat negative unintended consequences in the humanitarian context.

O5. Policy development, advocacy and a heightened local awareness of improved WM in the relevant local contexts
A5. Completed policy briefs on sustainability criteria, procurement guidelines, scaling up, and plug and play framework. Policy framework for sustainable humanitarian livelihood programmes. Local awareness campaigns in Kenya and Vietnam.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

WORM is a CSA project, and thereby the majority of its results are related to policy briefs.

Technical achievements: Dedicated procurement platform for the identification and uptake of bio-based alternative products and technologies in the humanitarian sector. Identification of local suppliers of bio-based alternatives through the platform. Potential continuity of the platform beyond the project.

Scientific achievements: Causal loop diagrams highlighted the benefits of bio-based alternatives, as well as their trade-offs regarding performance, land use, waste management, social equity, and food security. This informs responsible material transitions, also considering humanitarian needs, medical settings, and sustainable livelihoods for informal waste pickers, resulting in the systems mapping of bio-based material trade-offs.

Economic impact: Development of local waste management business models, focus on their viability and scalability. Development of plug and play models to integrate local businesses with field hospital deployments.