Chemicals

In past 20 years, use of plastic PET in product packaging has sufficiently increased which resulted with increase of this type of waste. Managing appropriately this type of waste requires existence of sustainable and efficient system for collection, selection and recycling; high awareness of the citizens and standardized policies. Although Macedonian government has adopted the Law on packaging and waste packaging that regulates roles and responsibilities of industry, recyclers, municipalities etc, this Law is still not in the process of it s implementation. Most of the municipalities in Macedonia has not allocated enough funding in waste management consequently they do not have recycling skim. Landfills are full of non-selected waste that usually ends up mixed with the rest of the collected waste. Luck of investments for creating recycling skim in landfills is reason that most of this waste is burned resulting with release of Persistent Organic Polluters (POPS), more precisely dioxides and furans type 2, 3, 7, 8- TCDD. It should be emphasized that this polluter causes cancerous diseases to people and animals. POPS are very mobile polluters- they are spread through the air as a grass hopper. Released through the air the toxic polluters can damage human life and living environments in regions far away from the territory where it s burned. The only solution to this challenge is enabling conditions for appropriate selection, collection, transport and recycling of plastic PET waste. Another issue is poor awareness of the citizens, especially young population on recycling and dangerous effects from inappropriate disposal of plastic PET waste. Luck of infrastructure for selection of plastic waste in schools and awareness of students is resulting with existence of small landfills within schoolyards. Through this Project, PETRA will enable conditions for establishing system for collection and purchase of plastic PET generated in elementary schools, by creating linkages between schools, NGO s, collectors and recyclers, members of PETRA. Despite providing necessary means for selection of waste (containers and jumbo bags) and machines for decreasing a volume of collected plastic PET waste, this project will have strong public awareness component that will be implemented through direct engagement of students from primary schools and NGO s. As well, through selling the collected plastic, schools will increase their budget for 60 %, while the NGO s will be able to self- sustain their activities with earned 40 % from the total sum. Consequently, the companies interested in purchasing the collected plastic will decrease their transport costs. This system will prevent continuation of existing practices and will enable collected plastic PET waste to be processed instead to end up burned in the landfills. The overall objective of this project is Decrease of the quantities of POPS that are released from burned plastic PET waste and education for changing public awareness in relation to increased quality of managing packaging plastic PET waste in primary schools. The impact of proposed set of action will be multidimensional and will affect all parties involved in recycling of plastic PET waste: Established sustainable and economic valuable system for plastic PET waste in primary schools Increased awareness of students from 15 +10 schools for recycling as solution for decreasing release of POPS in the air and effects of release of POPS in the air Increased awareness of citizens from 15 + 10 municipalities on recycling as solution for decreasing release of POPS in the air and effects of release of POPS in the air Increased employment rates in waste management sector Socio- economic impact through generating new employments Environmental impact will be achieved through practicing the established system for primary selection of plastic PET waste

Macedonia