Brief description
The project´s overall objective is to design guidelines and support actions for circular economy in the humanitarian sector in two selected settings: field hospital deployments, and humanitarian livelihood programmes with a waste picking component. Across these settings, the project focuses on several crosscutting focus areas, such as the integration of bio-based technological innovation solutions in the humanitarian context, and policy development, advocacy and a heightened local awareness of improved waste management in the relevant local contexts.
Project purpose
The Waste in humanitarian Operations: Reduction and Minimisation (WORM)'s
project will focus on two settings: field hospital deployments and humanitarian livelihood programs with a waste-picking component. Further areas of focus will be:
- 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 waste management in the relevant local contexts.
CHORD and KLU will contribute to the project by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure and compare the environmental impacts associated with bio-based vs. conventional materials according to different production and waste management scenarios. This also includes analyzing current waste treatment options for different types of waste (e.g., hazardous vs. non-hazardous) based on different materials. CHORD and KLU will also work with project partners to develop a framework and sustainability criteria to evaluate products and support the goal of using procurement as a gatekeeper for waste avoidance and a gateway to integrate innovative solutions. Additionally, to gain a broader perspective, KLU and CHORD will investigate the effects of bio-based solutions in the wider humanitarian context through a causal loop diagram (CLD) and work with partners to develop policy recommendations to support sustainable humanitarian livelihood programs (e.g., waste picking). Funded by the European Union (Horizon) . Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Horizon Europe. Neither the European Union nor Horizon Europe can be held responsible for them.
Subjects
Humanitarian Logistics, Sustainability, Creating Value
Project partners
Hanken School of Economics, Center for Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development (CHORD), Kühne Logistics University (KLU)