What we do
Our Topics

The members of the PREVENT Waste Alliance engage in thematic working groups on plastics, e-waste and batteries as well as organic waste. They also jointly further the cross-cutting issues of digitalisation and circular economy financing.

Working Groups
Cross-Cutting Issues

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Our Working Groups

Working Group

Plastics

Working Group

E-Waste and Batteries

Working Group

Organics

Working Group
Plastics

Objectives

  1. Effectively promote the prevention of plastic waste worldwide, guided by the waste hierarchy
  2. Develop inclusive waste collection approaches, involving the informal sector
  3. Promote recycling systems for plastic packaging - from circular design to the use of recyclates in new products
  4. Establish sustainable financing mechanims for a circular plastics economy

Nora Sophie Griefahn

Cradle to Cradle NGO, Executive Director

As a society, we need to change our way of thinking completely in order to create a future worth living without waste and the squandering of resources. Therefore, we need platforms like the PREVENT Waste Alliance to bring together the many stakeholders and implement solutions together.

Christine Halim

Chairwoman of Indonesian Plastics Recycling Association ADUPI

Adupi is very confident that PREVENT will not only help us reduce plastic waste but also increase the collection of raw materials needed for the plastic recycling industry. We look forward to working with PREVENT to raise public awareness about plastic recycling and to increase the usage of recycled materials.

Xin (Vivian) Chen

WWF, Global EPR Project Manager

EPR schemes have proven to enable sustainable financing for effective waste management systems while facilitating the transition towards the circular economy. The EPR Toolbox has been of great value in increasing the capacity and awareness of relevant stakeholders on EPR.

Resources

Achieving more circularity in the future global plastics agreement: Common criteria to improve packaging design

The report provides guidelines for improving the design of plastic packaging by drawing on both circular product design and eco-design principles.

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Corporate Plastic Waste Disclosures: Towards a Universally Accepted Framework

To move towards a universally accepted framework for corporate plastic waste disclosure, the sub-working group on Plastic Accounting (Corporate Stream) has developed a discussion paper. It summarizes the existing frameworks for corporate plastic waste disclosures and provides recommendations for their improvement.

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Guidelines on Minimum Requirements for Plastic Waste Recovery & Crediting Standards

This publication is a joint effort by plastic waste recovery organisations, all of them operating in developing countries and all of them members of the PREVENT Waste Alliance. These practitioners have gathered with the aim of improving the level of plastic waste recovery services in developing countries, so that ultimately more funds can flow to these services and higher environmental and social impacts can be achieved.

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ValuCred Standard Process Model Handbook

The ValuCred Handbook introduces the key concepts of the Standard Process Model. It explains guiding principles for the integration of minimum requirements for the plastic credit market to foster greater transparency and accountability of all stakeholders involved.

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Sub-Working Groups

Sub-working groups are opened and closed according to the interests and needs of the members. Further information on the sub-working groups is provided in the PREVENT HUB, our internal platform for members.

Leads & Contacts

Christina Jäger

Yunus Environment Hub

christina.jaeger[at]yunuseh.com
+49 (0)2203 937 253

Dr. Henning Wilts

Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH

henning.wilts[at]wupperinst.org
+49 (0)2203 937 253

Steffen Blume

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

steffen.blume[at]giz.de
+49 6196 79-7711

Jonas Barkhau

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

jonas.barkhau[at]giz.de
+49 (0)2203 937 253

Working Group
E-Waste and Batteries

Objectives

  1. Develop solutions and financing mechanisms for environmentally sound management of e-waste
  2. Strengthen local reuse, refurbishment and repair activities
  3. Contribute to the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concepts
  4. Improve labor standards in the recycling sector and include informal workers in formal recycling systems

Marcus Oliveira

Circular Brain, Chief Innovation Officer

I feel very privileged to be part of this platform, contributing to the conservation of the global environment. PREVENT gathers the most recognised organisations in fighting waste pollution through innovation.

Jhoanna Rosales

Vertmonde, Triple Impact Director

We feel privileged to have collaborated with the PREVENT Waste Alliance, whose support and shared mission played an essential role in transforming our RE-circular electronics concept into a reality.

Reinhardt Smit

Closing the Loop, Co-Founder

The Circular Economy is not just an idea, it’s a necessity. But it has to be manageable and pragmatic. Breaking CE down into smaller, understandable and implementable chunks can help us take steps in the right direction.

Resources

Discussion paper on practical experiences with the Basel Convention

The discussion paper was developed by the PREVENT-StEP joint working group. It gathers practical experiences with the export of waste electrical and electronic equipment and fractions thereof from low- and middle-income countries to environmentally sound management (ESM) facilities abroad according to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) notification procedures of the Basel Convention.

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PREVENT-StEP cross-alliance working group on the implementation of the Basel Convention

Following a first exchange with the Basel Convention Secretariat in February 2021 on the challenges caused by notification procedures for the transboundary movement of e-waste, PREVENT and StEP have initiated a cross-alliance working group to collect experiences from members in different countries. The aim is to find ways to improve local implementation and facilitate transport to qualified recycling facilities abroad.

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Principles and comparison criteria for e-waste compensation

E-waste compensation is a relatively new financial mechanism. Therefore, it is essential to define guardrails on how the concept should be implemented in practice. This paper contains 11 general principles of effective e-waste compensation.

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Management of End-of-life Li-ion Batteries through E-waste Compensation in Nigeria

The project 'E-Waste Compensation as an international financing mechanism in Nigeria (ECoN)' completed a feasibility study which addresses the possibilities for responsible management of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from domestic consumption in Nigeria.

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Leads & Contacts

Alexander Batteiger

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

alexander.batteiger[at]giz.de
+49 6196 797240

Jana Mandel

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

jana.mandel[at]giz.de
+49 (0)228 4460 3626

Working Group
Organics

Objectives

  1. Promote enabling framework conditions for sustainable organic waste management
  2. Develop solutions for food waste prevention and utilization
  3. Promote separate collection as well as innovative treatment solutions for organic waste

Anja Schwetje

German Environment Agency (UBA), Desk Officer

The network of the PREVENT Waste Alliance provides great opportunities for a global exchange of experiences and expertise on important international topics such as beneficial organic waste management, better framework conditions for all actors and sector contributions to climate mitigation.

Bert Wibel

DIHK Service GmbH, Manager of Chambers for GreenTech

We are very happy to form part of PREVENT which is an ideal platform to bring together different stakeholders from academics to businesses. PREVENT allows us to exchange thoughts and experiences, form alliances and develop new concepts.

Dr. Sven Schaller

German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ), Coordinator International Affairs.

The PREVENT Waste Alliance is a great opportunity to establish the topic of circular economy on a worldwide level as it brings together actors from the different sectors by establishing a platform on which the various activities can be harmonised and a knowledge transfer facilitated.

Resources

WasteGui: Guideline for organic waste treatment in East Africa

This report provides a detailed overview on concepts for collection, transport and final treatment of organic waste to inform politics, administration, research institutions, and the private sector.

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Video: A Guide to Organic Waste Management in East Africa

Untreated organic residues pose a major potential hazard to humans and the environment. At the same time, organic waste holds great potential for energetic and material utilization. This webinar gives an overview of the current organic waste management system in Ethiopia and discusses adapted logistics and treatment concepts for different settlement structures.

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Leads & Contacts

Anja Schwetje

German Environment Agency (UBA)

anja.schwetje[at]uba.de
+49 (0)34 021033284

Bert Wibel

DIHK Service GmbH / Chambers for GreenTech

wibel.bert[at]dihk.de
+49 (0)151 441439 86

Martin Kerres

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

martin.kerres[at]giz.de
+49 228 4460-1270

Christopher Speier

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

christopher.speier[at]giz.de
+49 6196 79-3087

Our Additional Topics
Cross-Cutting Issues

In addition to the working groups, we address three cross-cutting issues: financing mechanisms for a circular economy, digitalisation and awareness raising/behaviour change.

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Digitalisation

Financing Mechanisms

Behaviour Change

Find out more about

Our Projects

We work on innovative and sustainable solutions that contribute to a circular economy in low- and middle-income countries.

Benefits for
Members & Funders

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