Organizational elements. The Ecolec Foundation has been created in 2006 as a WEEE take-back collective management system set up by the business associations that represent the manufacturing sector and importers of large and small electrical appliances (as of January 2007, it has over 170 members). By taking advantage of existing structures and markets, Ecolec offers a model of management for waste electrical and electronic equipment which encourages and guarantees strict compliance with the regulations.
Organizational elements. The ECOTIC Foundation is a non-profit private organization, whose establishment has been promoted by the main Consumer Electronics companies. Founded in 2005, ECOTIC works towards environmental protection and sustainable development through the awareness and training of manufacturers, distributors and users of electrical and electronic devices. To comply with the obligations established by the Spanish and European legislation (mentioned above), a number of manufacturers, importers and distributors of electrical and electronic devices have joined together in ECOTIC Foundation, an organism that manages the WEEE of its affiliated enterprises through its Integrated Management System. Its mission is not only to conveniently recycle the wastes that are generated by its affiliates after the use of these devices, but also to do it in the most efficient and economically feasible way, so that the system is environmentally and economically sustainable to guarantee its durability. The manufacturer's liabilities which are assumed by ECOTIC are administrative procedures, information to the Industrial Establishment Register under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade of the amount of electrical and electronic devices placed in the market and WEEE management. The ECOTIC Foundation’s main goal is environmental protection and sustainable development. For the achievement of this objective, the Foundation works in the following activities: - Establishment, development and management of waste collection, treatment and control systems of electronic and telecommunications devices, equipment and components at the end of their lifespan. - Realization of studies and investigations about WEEE collection, treatment and control. - Release to all society of information about the collection, treatment and control of this type of waste. - Development of scientific and technological activities of debate and training about WEEE and its management. - Transmitting the philosophy of sustainable development in the field of electrical and electronic equipment and devices. - Transmitting the philosophy of sustainable development in the field of electrical and electronic equipment and devices.
Organizational elements. The ERP mission is to offer its members in Spain and Europe a complete compliance with the legislation corresponding to WEEE and used batteries and also to create a recycling platform on a European level. The objectives are: - To promote high quality environmental practices. - To offer a competitive cost/service relationship. - To offer personal service to the companies collaborating in the recycling process: associated companies, distributors and local entities. - To offer total management tracking, from the collection to its treatment. - To maximize the constant improvement of the processes and technologies. - To carry out a continuous follow-up in order to guarantee competitive prices. - To participate in campaigns of information and communication addressed to citizens and professional entities destined to instate recycling in this kind of waste.
Organizational elements. The anaerobic digestion process described in this section has been implemented by VALORGA INTERNATIONAL, a private company specialized in the conception, build-up and start-up of installations of biological waste treatment for municipalities and industry. The company is contracted by local governments in order to develop an activity of design- construction of Municipal Solid Waste treatment plants including the anaerobic digestion of the organic matter. They also ensure the transfer of knowledge and the acquisition of know-how for the owners of their installations as well as provide with advice, audit and expertise. Bringing together these activities enables them to multiply synergies effectively. The anaerobic digestion process implemented consists in bringing a relevant solution in the following four domains of application: − the methanisation of the biowaste resulting from a source-sorted collection generating an organic high-quality compost, − the treatment of the organic fraction issued from household waste generating a compost which can be marketed in agriculture, − the biological stabilization of residual household waste, generating a stabilized product for landfills, − The co-digestion of sewage sludge, oils, vegetable fats or any other organic substrates with the organic fraction from MSW. Two important steps lead up to the successes of their development: − A research and development phase in laboratory followed by a process fine-tuning on industrialized pilot during the first seven years, − An industrial development of the Valorga process® all over the world lasts for 18 years.
Organizational elements. The ESE is organized along three functional elements: • Research, to increase in our knowledge of the Earth system • Technology, to enable new, breakthrough or lower-cost capabilities for the study of the Earth system in the future • Applications, to enable NASA-developed data science and technical capabilities to serve as the basis for practical tools that address national applications and support formal and informal education and workforce development related to Earth science Research uses the observations and measurements to answer key questions about how the Earth functions in its natural state and human effects on natural Earth processes. Technology provides the instruments and platforms that generate observations and measurements. Applications extracts full social and economic benefit from NASA Earth science research and technology. All three elements are driven by the imperative to support policy needs and national applications requirements.
