PRESS RELEASE
United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: [email protected]
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Supporting Sevan municipality to reduce environmental pollution levels
Sevan, Armenia – Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP
Resident Representative in Armenia and USAID/Armenia staff visited the
town of Sevan on July 12 to tour the waste collection and recycling
activities of the USAID-UNDP plastic recycling program, which recently
installed 140 plastic waste bins in the town and in recreational areas
around Lake Sevan. Partners met with Deputy Mayor of Sevan Pap
Petrosyan and transferred a garbage truck to the municipality for
plastic waste collection in the project area.
In order to address Armenia’s environmental challenges, USAID and UNDP
launched a joint initiative in March 2011 – the Collection and Reuse
of Plastic Refuse (CRPR) project – to improve the quality of potable
water sources in Armenia through the collection and recycling of
plastic containers. The program also sought to spur private sector
investment in the recycling of plastic waste. As of June 2012, a
total of 1,000 specially marked bins were installed in Vanadzor,
Hrazdan, Alaverdi, Sevan, Tsakhkadzor, Ararat, Charentsavan, Artashat,
Ashtarak, Berd, Ejmiatsin, Armavir, Sisian and Dilijan, resulting in
the recycling of nearly 80 tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
waste.
“UNDP’s support is aimed at creating a better environmental condition
for the population. Proper management and recycling of this toxic
material is not only urgent from the environmental point of view, but
it also carries an essential potential for delivering currently
unrealized economic benefits,” said Dafina Gercheva, UN RC/UNDP
Resident Representative.
During the initial phase of the project, UNDP provided special bins
for PET waste, balers, and compactors in the target communities for
separation of PET bottles and relevant plastic products immediately at
the first stage of the waste collection cycle. The project then helped
design and implement partnerships between the local authorities
responsible for solid waste management and private companies with
capacities to buy and recycle the PET waste. An intensive public
awareness campaign in the project areas was an important component to
inform the general population on the importance of separating the PET
waste into the special bins.
Based on the results and proved interest and support of the
authorities and community residents, the project plans to expand to
other towns of Armenia, including Yerevan, where around 3,000 tons PET
waste is still thrown out to landfills each year.
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UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build
nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of
growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground
in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and
local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
UNDP in Armenia was established in March 1993 and supports the
government to reach national development priorities and the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015.
Since 1992, the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) has been a leading donor agency in Armenia, managing about
two-thirds of the total U.S. assistance program. The USAID Mission to
Armenia works with the Armenian public, the Government of Armenia,
non-governmental organizations and businesses, as well as other donors
to increase the Armenia’s economic competitiveness, promote civic
participation and access to a wide range of media outlets, expand
access to quality healthcare and social services, and protect the
country’s most vulnerable citizens from poverty.
From: A. Papazian