projects

Environmental health and sustainable supplies

Completed
An arid landscape with plastic waste scattered across it
Programme
UNHCR Innovation Incubator
Fund
Environment and Climate Action Innovation Fund | Incubator
Start Date
Total Project Cost
USD 78,000
Country
Chile
Project Team
UNHCR Chile

Challenge

Humanitarian items distributed to newly arrived refugees and displaced people can have high environmental impacts on host areas, fostering a negative image that refugees contribute to poor environmental health.

Solution

UNHCR will assess the supply chain, waste generation, and carbon footprint of activities supporting refugee arrivals to determine potential adjustments to supply activities that will integrate environmental considerations in procurement criteria.

Impact

Solutions and opportunities to promote circular material use, consider end-of-life options for items provided to refugees, and inform a more sustainable response.

Project impact

1
sustainable procurement guide developed to integrate sustainability criteria in purchases
2
potential processes for recycling refugee housing units designed & ready for testing
20
refugee & host entrepreneurs engaged in workshops to integrate circular processes

Other information

The sustainability guide and learnings were shared internally to guide future purchases and integration of sustainability criteria.

Read more about this project in our webstory.