Trainings for SMEs and young adults from Iraq in the waste and recycling sector

BFS, supported by GIZ, invited a delegation of Iraqi entrepreneurs and young professionals to learn more about waste management in Germany after they attended our training sessions in Baghdad and Erbil. BFS facilitated visits for the Iraqi delegation to RDF waste to energy and composting plants, and also organised various workshops for the participants. The visit enabled the Iraqi delegation to learn about the current state of integrated waste management, treatment and recycling facilities in Germany. They were able to narrow down their business model, develop a detailed budget plan, and kick off their start-ups with the support of a host company in Iraq.

Project Facts

Project Period: May 2019 - May 2020
Customer: GIZ
City: Baghdad and Erbil
Country: Iraq

Project details

Functioning Waste Management Systems

Due to the local political situation in the country, the efficiency of the waste and recycling sector is severely limited, leading to illegal dumping in some cases. There is a great demand for a functioning waste management system, especially for the professional disposal of hazardous and toxic or environmentally harmful waste (e.g., medical products), as well as for the large quantities of construction and demolition waste.

SMEs and Young Adults

Fresh graduates, entrepreneurs and small new businesses in the environmental sector are ineffectively introduced to existing market players and find employment prospects in the local waste and recycling sector very difficult. There is also a high demand for knowledge transfer to existing best-available technologies, standards, regulatory frameworks, and business practices.

Innovation

The project followed an integrative approach to promote innovative business ideas, develop local capacities as well as technology transfer. During the training, both young people and entrepreneurs from the waste and recycling sector were brought together to examine the existing waste/ recycling management with regards to possible optimizations and to identify and pilot measures. Participants were also able to gain direct insight into potential employers.