Meet the partners

The Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) is the coordinator of the project and works together with supra-local partner Westtoer, Flemish partners Vlaco and VVSG-Interafval, and Belgian partners Denuo, Fost Plus and Valipac for this purpose.  

Ovam also implements Cmartlife by working with local authorities, sector federations, employers’ organisations, companies, relevant research institutions, federal governments, interest groups and many other stakeholders. The project aims to roll out its activities in the Flemish Region, and across the entire Belgian territory via interregional and national partnerships.  

 Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders (OVAM)

  Denuo

Denuo is the Belgian federation of the waste and recycling sector. In a world in which raw materials are becoming scarcer and companies want to produce sustainably, more than 250 Denuo members provide the essential link between used materials and reuse, recycling and final processing. 
 

 Fost Plus 

Fost Plus is a non-profit organisation, responsible for the selective collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste in Belgium. It uses promotion, coordination and funding to implement the circular packaging economy in practical terms. Fost Plus recycles over 90% of the household packaging on the market, every year, thanks to an efficient collection of glass, paper, cardboard and PMD.  

Packaging management has evolved firmly in the direction of sustainable materials management. To this end, Fost Plus works closely with all parties concerned – companies, federations, authorities, municipalities and intermunicipal organisations, collection, sorting and recycling companies and the general public. Fost Plus was established in 1994 at the instigation of the companies involved, and operates in all three regions of the country. Its mission is to attain the European objectives for sustainable waste management. 
 

 Westtoer

It is Westtoer’s mission to draw up the tourism/recreation policy and help implement it, on behalf of the province of West Flanders. It supports tourism in West Flanders, as an economic sector, by drawing in purchasing power from outside the region by means of attractive tourism products and by promoting West Flanders in relevant markets. We support supra-local, open-air recreation in West Flanders by developing attractive, competitive products and communicating them to local inhabitants and tourists alike.  
 

 Valipac

Valipac is the only accredited organisation in Europe for extended producer responsibility applied to commercial and industrial packaging. It collects and analyses reliable data on the sorting and recycling of commercial and industrial (packaging) waste. It uses this knowledge to identify opportunities and challenges in the waste chain and, in collaboration with sector federations and waste collectors, implements activities to encourage companies to sort more and sort better. Valipac is also working on innovations to transform waste into new raw material, with more applications in Europe, in order to achieve a fully circular economy for industrial packaging. 
 

 VVSG - Interafval

Interafval is a network of all (inter)municipal organisations involved in household waste management since 1996. There are 7 FTE in the team, which is embedded in the VVSG (Flemish umbrella organisation for the local governments). Core activities are advice, information exchange, support, etc. We represent local authorities in waste management issues in several official, consultative bodies.  
Most municipalities are associated in intermunicipal cooperatives (of which there are 25) in Flanders. These cooperatives are legally responsible for the organisation of collection and treatment of household waste.  

Interafval is also a member of international organisations such as Municipal Waste Europe and ISWA. 
 

 Vlaco

Vlaco is a membership organisation for both (local) authorities and companies. It has promoted the policy and interests of the organic cycle in Flanders since 1992. As an accredited certification body for quality inspections of organic waste processors, Vlaco issues certificates which allow quality compost and digestate products to be marketed. Vlaco also researches the properties and potential uses of these organic fertilisers and soil improvers, in a variety of projects. It translates project results into promotion and awareness raising in order to help close the organic cycle at the final stage of consumption. Lastly, Vlaco also supports private individuals in closing the biological cycle at home.