Tony Curran

The role and contribution of the third sector in terms of waste management and resource recovery

Third sector organisations (TSOs) make a valuable contribution to waste management and resource recovery in many areas across Europe. This is often hidden because due to the nature of TSOs, their value is not quantified, reported and publicised. As a consequence, their contribution to local, national and international regions in terms of supporting civil society, alleviating poverty and recovering value from resources is not properly recognised or appreciated. From the examples given below, it is clear that third sector involvement almost always moves waste and resource management up the waste hierarchy from disposal to recovery and reuse. [Note that TSOs should not be confused with the informal sector, which refers to “individuals or enterprises who are….not sponsored, financed, recognised or allowed by the formal waste authorities, or who operate in violation of or in completion with formal authorities.] Third sector organisations are driven by the need to supply to low-cost household items to people in hardship; such items include furniture, electrical equipment (e.g. computers, mobile phones, cookers and microwaves), textiles (clothing and bedding), foodstuffs and children’s books/toys. They also provide opportunities for long-term unemployed and other socially-excluded individuals to gain practical skills and re-engage with society, and for anyone to volunteer for the overall benefit of civil society. Many TSOs are regarded as social enterprises – in order to achieve their social objectives, which also carry environmental improvements, they contribute to service provision in certain areas. Being not-for-profit and having a low cost workforce (a high proportion of trainees and volunteers) enables them to operate competitively with public and private sector services – realising triple bottom-line (TBL) benefits (N.B. the TBL is a framework for encouraging institutional concern about sustainability and incorporates the 3P’s – people, planet and profit)