Clean Alliance: Newsletter, July 2019

CLEAN ALLIANCE June, 2019

NEWSLETTER

of the Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development

THE PLAQUE IS UNVEILED: THE FIRST BATCH OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS MADE OF PLASTIC WASTE IS DELIVERED Kapan inaugurates production of construction materials with recycled plastic and sand. The long awaited plaque unveiling ceremony took place on May 11, symbolically on Europe Day celebration in Kapan, Syunik region. This is an important milestone in the project “Turning Environmental Challenges into Opportunities: Introducing construction Materials from Plastic Waste” that started 2 years ago with EU funding and Government of Armenia cost-share.

The Plaque is unveiled by: (from left to right) GEVORG PARSYAN, Mayor of Kapan; AMBASSADOR PIOTR SVITALSKI, Head of EU Delegation in Armenia; HAYASTAN STEPANYAN, Urban Foundation board member; HUNAN POGHOSYAN, Governor or Syunik region.

This project is funded by the European Union

This project is implemented by Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development

The idea to create value chain from plastic waste has occurred to the Urban Foundation years ago, since the first attempt of separating plastic waste from household garbage back in 2009. Since then, with the support of various donors, the Urban Foundation has created considerable capacities for separating, baling, storing and transporting plastic waste in more than 20 communities throughout Armenia.

1 startup project

Therefore it was time for the communities to get added value from the collected plastic by recycling it into something useful. The polymer-sand technology seemed very handy for this purpose.

With EU's financial support the plastic waste is processed into construction materials after mixing with sand in certain proportions. This and other innovative technologies create new economic opportunities for municipalities and businesses. But before that a great deal

6 new products They are light-weight, resistant to climatic extremes, durable, cheaper, and serve much longer. More importantly, the entire idea and the production process are environmentally friendly.

The first batches of polymer-sand construction materials will be sent to the

of prepwork was done including market research for products from polymer-sand mixture, business planning of the future enterprise, procurement of equipment and the production line, creation of necessary infrastructure for source separation, collection, storing and transportation of plastic waste from 9 partner communities of Vayots Dzor and Syunik to Kapan.

separation of plastic waste partner communities that have supplied the enterprise with plastic waste with which selected public spaces will be improved to vividly demonstrate people how their behavior change resulted in public good.

Currently, Kapan’s Plastshin enterprises produces 6 varieties of construction materials made of polymer-sand mixture: road curbs, tiles, roof tiles, fences. The products are of very good technical quality as compared to their sand-concrete analogues.

This project is funded by the European Union

This project is implemented by Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development

The Clean Alliance Project Reaches Apex While plastic waste is adding value in Kapan, another EU funded project, the Clean Alliance, again being implemented by the Urban Foundation, is reaching its apex.

A great deal of capacity development has been carried out by the project that is resulting in highly effective waste management in three neighboring consolidated communities – Goris, Sisian and Gorayq. Thanks to strong citizen mobilization and public education campaign that was designed at the inception phase of the project, it can be stated that the project is having outstanding results. Plastic waste separated and collected in these communities is being sent to Kapan for recycling or sold (as in case of Goris) for lucrative price to replenish the budget for waste management.

After procurement of garbage trucks and containers for recycled garbage, Goris and Gorayk are now technically well equipped for carrying out effective waste management. The Clean Alliance project got better momentum after Sisian municipality joined the project in 2018.

create capacities

Public education is an important and inseparable part in any project that the Urban Foundation conceptualizes and implements. Children and youth are our main allies in promoting environmental knowledge and change in commonplace behavior patterns relating to household practices.

foster separation of plastic waste

reduce unemployment

CHANGING BEHAVIOR THROUGH KNOWLEDGE: Schoolchildren Compete in Environmental Awareness

Children welcomed the idea of competing with their mates in environmental quizzes and started preparation with great enthusiasm. The Urban Foundation offered its well tested instrument of knowledge contests –'Victorinas' - that is being regularly used in different actions including in cross-border projects. The process of getting ready for the contest is a fantastic learning format, and the outcome is always win-win.

This project is funded by the European Union

This project is implemented by Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development

Good to Know A Grant from the Embassy of Japan Supports Effective Waste Management in Syunik

On March 11, 2019, the Ambassador of Japan Jun Yamada and the Director of the Urban Foundation Nune Ghazakhetsyan signed a grant agreement for procuring containers for garbage for Sisian community. The First Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Mr. Vache Terteryan and the Governor of Syunik Mr. Hunan Poghosyan were present at the ceremony.

Environment and I GIZ supports environmental knowledge in Vanadzor: GIZ assigned the Urban Foundation to support Vanadzor municipality to promote environmental education among preschool and school children and public awareness on waste reduction. In the which framework of the task messages and relevant information were elaborated jointly with Vanadzor municipality which were printed on leaflets and posters.

On June 15, 80 containers arrived in Sisian. This grant is the Japanese Embassy's valuable contribution to the EU funded Effective Waste Management initiative that involves waste separation and recycling.

Young Citizen Scientists propose water saving solutions In the framework of USAID funded Participatory Utilization and Resource Efficiency of Water Project (PUREWater), technically and environmentally minded young people were invited to propose their solutions for saving irrigation and drinking water in Ararat valley. Their proposals referred to installing irrigation water metering devices to reduce conflicts between users and water providers, enacting smart technologies for monitoring needed levels of humidity of cultivated lands, installing traps for preventing irrigation channels from being congested with plastic waste, monitoring drinking water consumption in the community, etc. 4 groups of citizen scientists were awarded certificates and grants for realization of their ideas.

Tailored training sessions were organized for preschool and school teachers. The training was based on the GIZ Manual on Waste management, adapting it to the level of kindergarten proficiency. All teachers involved in the trainings received copies of the manual for their further reference.

The European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies.

Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and people beyond its borders.

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union.

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Urban Foundation and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

This project is funded by the European Union

This project is implemented by Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development