[GSEF2016]: Cooperation between a municipality and a cooperative of junk collectors: waste management and support for vulnerable groups

Category: 
Europe
Local Government
SSE Organisation
Class: 
Urban & Rural Regeneration / Community
Environment / Food
Social Service / Employment

Presented at: GSEF2016 Montreal

Organisation: Ayuntamiento de Barcelona (Government and public agency), Cooperativa Labcoop, SCCL (SSE organization)

Date: September 8, 2016

PresenterMs. Elisenda Vegué Gisbert (Chief of Operations, Other Economies), Mr. Guillermo Rojo (Coordinator)

Contactseli@labcoop.coopguillermo@labcoop.coop

Summary

Alencop is a social cooperative created to guarantee decent living conditions for a vulnerable group and to tackle the problem of waste collection and treatment in urban areas. This innovative project aims at providing social and environmental solutions to the city of Barcelona. Its target population are mostly immigrants, in the majority in an irregular administrative situation and highly socially vulnerable under the protection of the OPAI (Irregular Settlements Plan Office) of the Barcelona City Council, that previous survived through garbage picking. By providing collective responses to individual needs, the project offers employment, housing and food to its members.