Joint WREC & REH Workshop: Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMP) - Note for the Record & Video

Content

Speakers: Marta Kucharski (Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster, Environmental Specialist on Waste Management (LTC/WREC), the Réseau Environment Humanitaire (REH) Waste Management Working Group represented by Johana Bretou-Klein Sustainability Program Officer, Médecins du Monde (MdM) and Céline Heim Environment & Sustainable Supply Chain Expert, Action Contre la Faim (ACF); and Martin Guard, Hazardous Waste Specialist, UNOPS, Rapid Environmental and Climate Technical Assistance (REACT), Department of Operational Support (DOS).

Number of participants: 65 from 29 organisations.

Organizations: Action Contre la Faim (ACF), ADRA, Aird International, CARE, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Department of Operational Support (DOS), De Sammensluttede Vognmænd (DSV), ECHO, HULO, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ICRC, IFRC, Malaria Consortium, International Medical Corps (IMC), Médecins du Monde (MdM), MSF-France, MSF-Geneva, MSF-Holland, Organisation for Welfare Development in Action (OWDA), Oxfam, Plan International, Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH), RESCUE, Save the Children (SCI), Secours Islamique, Shelter Cluster, UNDP, UNHCR, U.S. Department of States, and WFP.

Agenda:

• Welcome & Introductions
• Solid Waste Management Plans: definition & approach
• SWM Plans presentation: MdM, ACF, DOS 
• Structured technical inputs from partners
• Closing & Next steps

1. Welcome & Introduction - Marta Kucharski, Logistics and Telecommunications Clusters’ Environmental Specialist on Waste Management (LTC/WREC).

The session was co-organised together with the French humanitarian environmental network Réseau Environnement Humanitaire (REH) Waste Management Working Group.

Objectives of the session:
•    Provide a common understanding of Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) for humanitarian organizations. 
•    Collect operational feedback and recommendations to support the development of the REH SWMP template/toolkit for NGOs.
•    Present practical approaches and examples of existing organizational waste management systems from partners.

Why Solid Waste Management Plans are important:
•    SWMP is a tool that enables waste measurement and traceability, waste reduction strategies definition, waste management planning and cost estimation, local regulation and donor compliance, and evidence for advocacy and resource mobilisation.
•    Since 2024, WREC has been developing guidance and resources (see below) to support organisations building their waste management plans. This session aims to contribute to the development of a practical template that organisations can apply in their operations
 

WREC resources for Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMP) development:

• In 2024, WREC conducted six consecutive waste management coordination sessions, each focused on one step to establishing organisation waste management plans. Presentations are available under request at Global.Wrec@wfp.org. 
• Key publications & Specific webinars/missions: 
• Quick guide on Waste Management 
• Cheat sheet on Waste management 
• How to measure waste workshop: PPT and NFR – 8 July 2024
• Estimating waste through procurement: information session: PPT and NFR – November 2025.
• Waste management assessment of Danish Refugee Council in Tanzaniaand Waste management survey, January 2025.
• Waste measuring decision tree

2. Solid Waste Management Plans: definition & approach – by the Humanitarian Environment Network (REH) Waste Management Working Group

What is the Humanitarian Environment Network (REH)?
•    Network of Francophone organisations working together to reduce the environmental footprint of humanitarian aid. 
•    The REH includes over 300 members from 30 organisations.
•    REH has four working groups: environmental assessments, carbon, sustainable and responsible purchasing, and waste.
•    Since September 2022, the REH Waste Management Working Group has supported member organisations in better integrating waste and waste management considerations into their projects.

What does the REH Waste Management Working Group do?
•    Allows for exchanges of good practices/ways of working between the members to inform and potentially harmonize. 
•    Collaborates with complementary initiatives such as WREC and hulo.
•    Promotes collaboration and mutualization in the field between different organisations to work with whole sector including development NGOs, UN, private sector, and governments.
•    Builds a SWMP template for operational NGOs that do not know where to start.

What is the REH Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) template?
•    SWMP is a strategy used by an organisation to avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, and dispose of waste.
•    The template covers the organisation’s waste produced, tries to identify solutions for treatment, and is updated regularity.
•    It allows humanitarians to visualise the impact of unmanaged waste and to budget, prioritise, and monitor changes. 
•    REH’s SWMP template structure: 
o    Operating context analysis;
o    Waste quantification;
o    Identification of treatment/recycling solutions;
o    Monitoring and continuous improvement.
 

3. SWM Plans presentation - Johana Bretou-Klein Sustainability Program Officer, Médecins du Monde (MdM) and Céline Heim Environment & Sustainable Supply Chain Expert, Action Contre la Faim (ACF); and Martin Guard, Hazardous Waste Specialist, UNOPs Rapid Environmental and Climate Technical Assistance (REACT), Department of Operational Support (DOS).

MdM Waste Management Plan:
•    Simple Excel-based tool adapted for field missions.
•    Focuses on office and warehouse waste as a first step.
•    Includes: 
o    Roles and responsibilities
o    Legal framework 
o    Local recycler mapping
o    Waste quantification
o    Waste management (solution and/or storage) opportunities 
o    Budgeting
o    Waste reduction opportunities
•    The tool is designed to remain flexible and adaptable to local contexts.
•    The tool is available upon request (johana.bretou-klein@medecinsdumonde.net)

ACF Waste Management Plan:
•    Combination of Excel dashboards and narrative reporting. 
•    Includes: 
o    Waste assessments
o    Local recycler mapping
o    Recycler technical evaluations
o    Contract tracking
o    Waste flow mapping
o    Budgeting
o    KPIs and reporting
•    Emphasis placed on: 
o    Awareness raising
o    Team engagement
o    Circular economy approaches
o    Dedicated environmental focal points in some countries.

DOS/UN Peacekeeping Waste Management Plan:
•    Large-scale environmental management system covering peacekeeping missions. 
•    DOS uses Environmental action plan and Performance applications to track KPIs. 
•    Waste management yard approach is used to reduce dumping and improve disposal methods. This consists of designating a site within the compound for specific waste management equipment (e.g. incinerators, shredders, compactors, treatment tanks, etc.).
•    Use of: 
o    Gap analysis
o    Risk assessments
o    Waste disposal indicators
o    Investment planning
•    Emphasis on gradual improvement through phased investments and environmental risk reduction.
•    Waste Management Handbook for Peacekeeping Operations and Field Based Special Political Missions, request the document at Global.Wrec@wfp.org 
 

4. Structured technical inputs - Discussion & Key Feedback (all)

Key steps to establish a SWMP:

Before collecting key technical inputs from partners on each step of the process to establish a waste management plan, WREC did a quick presentation of the five basic steps defined in the waste management cheatsheet. This short presentation aimed to promote a more informed discussion during the session. Key actions and information to collect at each is presented next: 

• Step 1: Know your waste
  • Determine the Quantity (Kg, volume) and types of waste. 
  • Choose the more appropriate waste measurement method: waste characterisation vs waste estimation as per procurement technical specifications of items. 
  • Check waste reduction and prevention opportunities.
• Step 2: Explore local solutions – 
  • Explore locally available adapted solutions (e.g. community collectors, organisation suppliers, waste recycling providers, etc.) – and arrange field visits to assess their performance. 
  • Collect information on local government regulations and policies to know what to comply with.
• Step 3: Describe procedures.
  • SOPs: describe new procedures, roles and responsibilities as per waste service providers identified as a solution. 
  • Define the contract modality depending on the service provider engaged (e.g. contract, MoU, etc.). 
  • Identify waste costs & revenues related to transportation, recycling company services, equipment needed, etc.
• Step 4: Training and awareness. 
  • Raise awareness to staff on the new procedures described in the SOPs, safety measures to handle waste, and type of waste to segregate. 
  • Make use of communication materials such as infographics, pictures, etc. to convey messages.
• Step 5: Implementation and monitoring. 
  • Install segregation bins, sheds to cover waste, waste management equipment, etc. 
  • Track waste segregated, reused, recycled or disposed monthly (KPI) to measure progress and identify corrective actions.

Technical questions to the audience

After refreshing which actions to consider at each step of the process, the REH working group representatives, Celine and Johana, launched key questions to the participants to collect technical inputs which will help building the solid waste management plan template for NGOs. See below the questions launched and topics discussed:

General question:

Q1. Which step within a SWMP do you find most challenging?

Key challenges mentioned:

• The two key challenges faced by organisations are the difficulty of finding available adapted solutions and financing the SWMP.
• Participants noted that waste management is often not viewed as a core operational priority due to limited sensitization.
• Some partners noted that weak local regulations contribute to a lack of accountability at the organisational level. 
• It was also mentioned that obtaining the buy-in from field colleagues and management may be one of the main barriers.

Regardless of local capacity, as humanitarians we have a duty to Do No Harm. The purpose of a SWMP is to identify local available solutions and avoid contributing to an ongoing problem.

Several measures to obtain buy-in from field colleagues and management were discussed, including:

• Raising staff awareness of the importance of waste management. For example, organisations can celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June and organise visits to recycling facilities to increase understanding and engagement.
• Linking waste management efforts to compliance with local waste regulations and the Do No Harm principle.
• Demonstrating that the least expensive option is not always the most suitable. For instance, disposing of all waste at a dumpsite may increase environmental risks and result in missed opportunities for resource recovery and recycling.
• Promoting collective initiatives that are easy to join, such as shared contracts with recycling service providers (e.g., HULO's shared recycler contracts), can reduce the required initial investment and facilitate management buy-in.
• Highlighting the growing interest of donors in environmental sustainability can help justify waste management investments and encourage support from both management and staff.
• Where resources allow, assigning dedicated personnel to oversee environmental and waste management activities can significantly improve implementation and compliance.

Step 1. Know your waste

Q2. Do you measure your waste production at a mission level?

Comments:

• 42% of partners responded ‘Other’ to the question. After asking for more details, some specified they measured waste generation daily or weekly. Other mentioned that yes, they measured waste except for some country missions due to the lack of prioritisation of the field staff, linked to the lack of sensitisation. 
• 25% of partners have tools to make waste estimations and 17% has done it once and use results as a proxy.
• UNHCR shared their experience on waste measuring in their Uganda office: Discover the transformative power of a new waste reduction initiative in Arua, Uganda. 
• WREC shared the Waste measurement decision tree document to decide the best method to measure waste depending on the operational phase and location. 

Q3. Please mention which tools or good practices you use to measure waste? 

Different methods for measuring waste and related approaches were discussed: 

• Direct physical weighing of waste using scales to measure the weight of waste containers or bins.
• Using invoices, weight tickets, or certificates provided by waste contractors collecting waste from the premises.
• Conducting waste characterisation exercises (manual sorting of waste by type) and applying proxy calculations to estimate waste volumes and composition.
• Taking photographs of waste and making visual estimates of quantities generated.
• Estimating waste generation based on procurement plans and data on relief items purchased and distributed.

Waste measurement can help organisations prioritise waste management efforts by identifying waste streams generated in the largest volumes, occupying the most space, or posing the greatest environmental and health risks, such as hazardous waste.

Step 2: Explore management options

Despite no questions being raised during this step, discussions related to the identification of existing local waste management solutions took place and are summarized below:

• Participants encouraged the idea of joining efforts to avoid different organisations conducting the same exercice of describing or reviewing local legislation, and to save time and resources.
• WREC suggested, before conducting a desk review of local regulations, checking if this information exists in the Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA) platform, hosted by the Logistics Cluster, which includes a country profile with general information on how the country is managing waste (section 3.7). Example of Afghanistan was provided. 
• If information does not exist, download the template and share the new/updated information with Global.Wrec@wfp.org to be uploaded on the website.  Information on this template is usually collected by logistics partners. These are live documents; contents can be updated at any time.
• Legislation can be also found in the Basel Convention website: Basel Convention > Countries > National Legislation
• A second important template of the LCA is the waste management and recycling infrastructure assessment which help identifying local services providers for waste generated in your operations. Data can be visualized at the LogIE WREC Waste Management and Recycling Infrastructure Mapping.

Step 3: Describe procedures

Q4. What should we take into account to budget for proper waste management? 

Participants emphasized the need to budget for:

• Human resources dedicated to waste management. 
• ACF shared the experience of establishing a dedicated environmental position within the logistics team to support waste management and sustainable procurement across multiple countries. The role proved valuable in advancing environmental initiatives and providing technical support, although it was later discontinued due to shifting priorities and staff reductions. The organisation is now focusing on building the capacity of logistics staff to take on environmental responsibilities alongside their regular duties.
• The WREC team can also support partners for any technical request at Global.Wrec@wfp.org. 
• Safe storage and warehousing. 
• MSF shared the case of storing fleet waste can be a challenge, as waste often competes with relief items for limited warehouse space. For example, used tyres occupy significant space within fleet operations, and in some missions, waste storage areas have later been repurposed for other logistics activities. In addition, hazardous waste requires specific storage conditions and may need to be stored for extended periods before sufficient quantities are accumulated for collection by a recycle.
• Transportation and reverse logistics.
• Equipment and infrastructure.
• Awareness and training activities.
• Innovation and research.
• Strategies for waste reduction.

Step 4: Training and awareness

WREC has developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the environmental sustainability of humanitarian logistics (available on: WREC Coalition Trainings | Logistics Cluster Website). In addition, WREC regularly maps and promotes other trainings opportunities relevant to the community of partners: Environmental Sustainability in Humanitarian Supply Chains - Training Landscape Mapping.

Step 5: Implementation and monitoring

Q5. Do you measure/follow any of these indicators? 

Examples of indicators shared by participants:

• Avoided waste from landfill is one of the most commonly used indicators (22% of partners). This indicator measures the amount of waste diverted from landfill through recovery, recycling, reuse, or other waste management practices.
• A second widely used indicator is Waste reduction over time (22% of partners). This indicator tracks progress in reducing waste generation, for example through sustainable procurement strategies that prevent waste from entering the supply chain in the first place.
• Two other commonly reported indicators were Waste generated (11% of partners), which measures the total quantity of waste produced by an activity, and Waste managed (11% of partners), which measures the amount of waste that is actually collected, treated, recycled, or disposed of out of the total waste generated
• 33% of partners selected "Other" when asked which indicators they use to monitor waste. It was not specified whether this response referred to the use of alternative indicators or to the absence of a formal waste-monitoring system.

Q6. Any advice on measuring/following indicators (frequency, tools, etc.)? 

When it comes to waste monitoring, the main recommendation from partners was to conduct regular measurements using simple tools such as Excel or KoboToolbox, and to track straightforward indicators such as the weight of waste managed or the percentage of waste recycled.

Session key takeaways:

• SWMPs remain at different maturity levels across organizations. 
• Flexible and simplified approaches are important for operational uptake. 
• Collaboration and harmonization across organizations are essential. 
• Dedicated environmental staff significantly accelerate implementation. 
• Monitoring systems and KPIs are crucial for demonstrating progress and justifying investments. 
• Donor interest and environmental compliance requirements are increasing momentum for action.

5. Next steps:

• REH will continue developing the SWMP template/toolkit based on participant feedback. 
• Participants were invited to share existing SWMPs, tools, guidance, indicators and operational experiences at dechets@environnementhumanitaire.organd marta.kucharski@wfp.org 
• Participants were also encouraged to remain engaged and continue advocating for improved environmental sustainability and waste management practices across humanitarian operations.
• Participants were asked to provide feedback on the session: https://forms.office.com/e/JttVMxuqgy

Contacts

Recording: 

Joint WREC&REH Workshop: Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs)