ISWA World Congress 2015 - June Newsletter

EXCLUSIVE ACTIVITIES ON MONDAY MORNING, 7 SEPT

Join us for a unique look behind the scenes of the Antwerp waste management service, or enjoy an exclusive ISWA visit at the Red Star Line Museum

Planning on travelling to Antwerp the weekend before the start of ISWA 2015? Don't have anything planned yet on Monday morning, September 7th? Then join us for an exclusive 'behind the scenes' tour or for a free breakfast visit to the Red Star Line museum!

At 10am, the people from the Antwerp waste management department will start a guided tour to show you how waste is collected in this beautiful city and what efforts are done to keep the streets tidy.

Do you rather fancy some culture on Monday morning? Then come at 10am to the Red Star Line Museum which will exclusively open its doors for ISWA guests.
Places for both the guided tour and the museum are limited. Info & registration via Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!.

With their whole life packed in a few suitcases, millions of people sailed from Europe to America after 1800. The United States and Canada were the promised land for fortune seekers and everyone looking for a better life. For many people, the trip to the New World began in a warehouse in Antwerp. The Red Star Line Museum invites you on an eventful journey in the footsteps of the emigrants. Become acquainted with the passengers and accompany them on their trip from their native village to Antwerp. The ocean steamers of the Red Star Line are docked on the quay ready to depart for the New World. Exciting and personal stories accompany you across the ocean. On the other side of the ocean you say goodbye to your fellow passengers.

DISCUSSION: DOES BELGIUM NEED A DEPOSIT SYSTEM?

In the May issue of our e-zine, influencer of the month Clarissa Morawski wrote about the renewed support for deposit return in Belgium. Her article provoked different comments, whether pro or against the deposit system.

Joachim Quoden, the managing director of EXPRA, doubts if Belgium needs a deposit system. He comments: It's in Belgium, the country with the highest recycling rate in Europe, that the fiercest debate rages. Indeed, the authorities see the introduction of a deposit system on drinks containers as a quick fix to remedy the problem of litter. However, there can be no doubt about it, the deposit is certainly not a miracle solution to litter. What's more in Belgium, a country with a long tradition of selective waste collection, the supposed pros of a deposit system seem quite minimal compared to the cons: soaring costs for industry and for consumers and reduced convenience for citizens, threatening the existing system of selective collection. And if that were not enough, it's quite probable that litter will still be dumped since drinks containers are only part of the mess disfiguring Belgian towns and landscapes."

Read Joachim Quoden's full reaction here.

What do you think? Share your opinion on Twitter using #ISWA2015 of @ISWA2015, or e-mail us: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!.

BLOG OF THE MONTH: THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY'S DIRTY LAUNDRY

"There are many ways to extract value from waste, but they are not all supportive of a circular economy", says Rob Buurman, our opinion leader of the month. "The circular economy is in crisis, partly due to the limited ambitions of private companies who are actively abusing and therefore eroding the concept, and partly because politicians and policy makers are praising their efforts to date.

Rob Buurman works as a policy officer for the Flemish Federation for a Better Environment (Bond Beter Leefmilieu). The circular economy is his field of expertise, including classical waste management but also innovative business models in the sharing economy and product-service systems. Another area of focus is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, better known as TTIP. Follow him on Twitter: @rob_buurman

Read his full blog here

Your opinion matters too! In each of our monthly newsletters, we give a blogger, analyst, journalist or other opinion leader the opportunity to share his or her thoughts on waste management-related topics. Each of them will also be invited to our World Congress to enter the debate. Share your thoughts with us: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!