Recycling Matters Activity Fushe Kosova/Kosovo Polje

A project funded by USAID

The Project aims to develop a more efficient, cohesive waste collection system by incorporating the Municipality of Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje, the informal waste collectors and individual private entities, the private companies, and public enterprises to create a synchronized and sustainable recycling model in the target municipality. The activities encourage public participation in recycling initiatives while ensuring that informal waste collectors are part of the waste collection sector as it continues to expand. Through this intervention approach, the Project rests on the situation on the ground. It establishes a viable, implementable, and self-sustainable model based on local actors’ needs and interests. The Project aims to conduct a thorough and comprehensive consultation, research, and assessment in the initial phase and work with the Municipality and informal waste collectors to determine the exact nature of their relationship.

The specific steps of the model proposed in the Project are as follows:

– Establish a consultation structure for Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian stakeholders involved in informal waste collection and recycling, the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian Communities’ Stakeholder Local Consultative Forum in Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje, the CLSF.

– Establish working relations with the Municipality of Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje, including support for developing a municipal waste management plan to embed the project objectives within the Municipal Strategy. MoUs with the Municipality as critical stakeholders, including issuing legal permits and licenses for streamlining separation at source and recyclable waste management. – Support to increase the supply of recyclable waste by expanding existing infrastructure for recyclable waste through joint investments with the Municipality on the infrastructure for recyclable waste.

– Effective management of recyclable waste through support to the company for managing the recyclable waste

– Technical support, hardware and equipment, institutional development, and business-oriented support

– Involve the Informal Waste Collectors in the company at all levels.

– establish a Green Fund facility, to finance small-scale projects to add value to the project objectives through the involvement of local actors, the private sector, the grass-root NGOs, and the participation of the target communities.

The proposed model aims to formalize the recyclable waste collection from the current informal and unorganized activity to a formal, structured, and profitable activity by intervening at different stages of the waste management and recycling process chain. In doing so, retaining the critical position of informal waste collectors in the sector alleviates their status to that of a formal actor. Through the Municipality’s involvement, the Project seeks to address the gaps in the local policies on the waste collection sector in Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje. The Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje municipality has its plans and processes in place for addressing recycling, there also exists a vibrant informal sector, and many private companies deal with processing the recyclable waste. The Project seeks to utilize these stakeholders and local processes and support to develop them further jointly through proposed activities. The ECMI Kosovo (lead applicant) and D&D Business Support Center (sub-recipient) have formed a partnership in the implementation of this Activity. Each organization utilizes its specific expertise and long-standing, proven experience in the relevant fields: ECMI Kosovo, as a significant organization involved with minority communities, specifically its experience in dealing directly with informal waste collectors through E.U. funded projects, institutional support, and direct work with both Municipality of Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje; and D&D, its extensive business support and research experience and active labor market measures initiatives. Thus, making ECMI Kosovo and D&D, the most qualified organizations in Kosovo to implement the Project.

The Activity has established a professional full-time project team engaged in the project implementation with clear roles and responsibilities for each team member.