2010 is soon to be over. We can now say it has been a good and very busy year for our Association.
We have continued to grow and we have defined specific individual roles and objectives. We have renewed or licence. 44 campaigns have been run throughout the country and we have collected about 240,000 kilograms of WEEE brought in by over 11,500 people. That means more than 20,000 old or broken appliances. In addition, retail collection campaigns implemented together with you, the producers who make up the RoRec community, resulted in the collection of a further 7,000 metric tons of WEEE.
Over 20 local councils have signed up to the WEEE National Drop-Off Centres Network partnerships. The building of the first drop-off centre in Vălenii de Munte has been finalised. The used batteries and portable accumulators collection network has spread up to 632 locations, in shops as well as organisations, institutions and office and residential buildings.
We have attended over 20 specialised conferences and workshops, as well as international environment fairs, and we came back with the latest information in the field. We have delivered presentations and played an active role in all the international events organised this year by the WEEE Forum.
Our awareness-raising campaigns meant to encourage WEEE collection from private households have reached over 200 towns and communes, and covered the major national retail networks in Romania, in partnership with the Association members.
A new ‘pioneer’ concept has been launched together with Bricostore: The Eco Area, a space dedicated to consumer information and awareness-raising activities, regarding selective collection of batteries, small appliances and various types of lamps.
The first step in implementing the RepTools system has been taken, together with the major recyclers and regional operators. A manual of procedures aligned to the WEEE Forum standards for sampling collected waste on reception has been issued.
The RoRec portal allowing over 1,400 users to access the distributed waste management application on-line is currently being tested. This is a real-time working tool used as immediate support for the 1:1 exchange in shops and for optimising transport routes to recyclers.
We have played a part in the ‘ Marea Debarasare’ campaign this year, together with the Ministry for the Environment and Forestry, and we helped with the collection of over 200 metric tons of WEEE. Framework contracts complying with the European requirements have been negotiated with the treatment operators and recyclers. These introduce performance conditions and parameters and direct reporting through the RepTools application which is hosted on WEEE Forum’s server in Vienna.
We have run marathons and sent out our message for life in a clean environment, explaining how our recycling and collecting waste selectively can help. We climbed up to the peaks of the Bucegi mountains and organised there seminars about WEEE recycling for Romanian and foreign students gathered at the Gura Diham Eco-camp – and we convinced them to join our projects as volunteers.
We have participated actively at consultations with the central and local authorities regarding the implementation of a coherent WEEE collection system and we have voiced our proposals and suggestions for better legislation. Several thousands pupils have volunteered to help us with our collecting activities, following WEEE selective collection awareness-raising courses. They played a most important role when it came to persuading people to take a responsible attitude to the environment.
We have launched new concepts meant to support and protect the essential values of our partner communities. Only on-line have we generated over 1,000 references, articles and press materials.
And the list can go on… with many other successful activities. What hasn’t been done so far, is now on our New Year Resolutions list. We have just wanted to take stock here of a few of our projects which have become reality. So, as our plans have not remained on paper only, but they have come to life and proved feasible and successful, it is now time to give thanks to all those who have contributed to them.
I would like to thank you, the Association members, because you believe in us and stand by our side, giving us your support and your trust. I would like to thank my colleagues who make up the Association team, because they have never stepped back when confronted with a new challenge, although sometimes they seemed almost exhausted.
Many thanks to all our collaborators, who have helped us organise and implement all projects and who have managed to deal with the very tight deadlines.
Many thanks to our partners in the central and local authorities who have offered us their unconditional support. Together we have got concrete and successful results.
Many thanks to all those who have understood our message and joined us, as truly European citizens, in our efforts to offer a cleaner world to our children. Last but not least, special thanks to all children and students who have put so much heart and so much conviction in all our projects.
I wish you all a happy and bright Christmas!
Liviu Popeneciu
President of the RoRec Association