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Action in progress
STARTED SUCCESSFULLY THE NATIONAL WORKING TABLE OF CONSULTATION FOR THE DEFINITION OF GUIDELINES IN THE FIELD OF MANAGEMENT OF DISCARDED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
On 4th November during Ecomondo in Rimini, in the stand of Legambiente, one of the scheduled meetings was held in order to define common procedures and to collect simplification proposals or legislative change concerning the management of discarded medical equipment. The workshop, entitled “Critical aspects and strengths of implementation of current legislation regarding management of medical WEEE”, has de facto continued the work already begun in the meeting in Rome on 6th and 7th October between several project partners. The roundtable was attended by consortia and industry experts, in addition to the promoters of the project, who discussed how to harmonise legislation at the national level in order to start a new system aimed to reduce waste from electrical medical equipment and WEEE and to maximize reuse and regeneration.
The collection of regulatory instruments made in recent months had already highlighted discrepancies not only at the regulatory level but also in terms of the required permissions to manage and eventually regenerate waste where possible. The discussion has also brought out that in some cases it is essential to make a donation to the company that will take care of regeneration so that the same process can be started.
Next meeting for the consultation table will take place in January 2016.
PROJECT MOVES FORWARD AND IS REACHING THE RESULTS EXPECTED
After just over a year after the launch, the results obtained by all the partners begin to be important and numerically significant.
Among the 60 health facilities that cast off assets so far contacted and 10 requests for information and cooperation received, agreements with 5 medical centres have been launched, in addition to having identified 20 potential recipient institutions (individuals and organizations operating on EU territory). 100 contacts for distribution of home health care equipment and small devices have been established too.
The launched network of contacts also allowed to manage the first 20 tons of waste, to revise 60 medical equipment and 20 health care facilities and to donate 50 electro-medical devices to subjects operating in Italy, Romania and Lithuania.
Considerable success was also obtained by the training days between CAUTO’s operators and AFF’s operators in Italy and Romania, as well as by the demonstrative days during XV National Conference AIIC and in Bucharest and lectures at the Faculty of Engineering in University of Brescia and University of Bucharest.
In parallel, the research activity has been continuing and it involved the realisation of a report regarding analysis of the state of the art in the management of disused medical equipment in Italy, Spain, Germany and Romania. Researchers also developed a scientific model for the correct characterisation of some medical equipment in relation to the presence inside them of dangerous substances (according to RoHS Directive) or other problems related to their classification as hazardous waste, in addition to having already analyzed a medical equipment also to check its radioactivity.
Finally, the website has always been being updated and it is available in three languages (italian, english and romanian), together with the distribution of press releases and promotional materials.
Coming soon
HOW TO CLASSIFY AND MANAGE WASTE IN HEALT FACILITIES? JOINT TRAINING ORGANISED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BRESCIA
On 20th and 21st January 2016 two days of training focused on the classification and waste management in health facilities will be held at the “University College Lucchini” in Brescia. The course will provide the technical and legislative tools for the proper management of the waste cycle, with a special focus on new criteria of waste management also to reduce the amount of waste before being disposed and encourage the recovery/recycling. The training will therefore highlight the characteristics and weaknesses of the new system of classification of waste, the new criteria, the interdisciplinary skills required, aspects concerning the roles and the responsibilities of all parties involved (producers, analyses and characterisations executors and customer of waste management). More information about the program and how to participate are available in the schedule.
Best Practices
SECOND LIFE PROJECT, EVEN ELETRICAL APPLIANCES HAVE A SECOND LIFE!
In the current economic and especially environmental context, used products that have been prepared for re-use and the related spare parts can represent the ideal solution for the consumer, since they ensure product quality, environmental friendliness and a low cost. To this end Second Life project started, in collaboration with Adriatica Green Power (Marche-based company specialised in waste treatment, recovery and disposal) with Legambiente, Marche Region and local governments. The objective of Second Life is to promote a culture of reuse of WEEE in the world, providing for the distribution of reconditioned electrical appliances at discounted prices. The project was introduced in the initiative “Comuni Ricicloni” and the intent of the first 103 local governments that have joined is to give the opportunity to citizens with financial difficulties to buy appliances at discounted prices through the release of a voucher that will have to be delivered at the time of purchase. The opening in May of the first Italian outlet of used, reconditioned and guaranteed electrical appliances is therefore only one of the first and most clear results that this experience has already obtained: in less than 300 square meter, in fact, it’s possible to find old washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers that have returned as new and are ready to be sold again. More information is available at www.secondlifeitalia.it