Goals

Problem statement:

Environmental pollution and waste generation is a big challenge for all, including for people in Senaki.

Public agencies cannot tackle the issue alone, unless community shares the responsibility over waste management. While people's participation in waste management is high in the West, it is rather new for Georgia. Recycling facilities are not still widespread, but the recycling of plastic bottles is already taking place on a small scale.

We want more Georgians to learn garbage separation practices on the one hand and to reduce the amount of plastic bottles that end up on the landfills. We understand that the problem is huge, but the change begins with one step at a time.

Proposed Solution:

We already started the initiative and have placed 33 green boxes in Senaki. They are full in about one week and are processed by a micro facility in Tsalnjikha.

We want to cover a bigger area of Senaki and its neighboring villages: Teklati, Old Senaki, Akhalsopeli, Menji, Nokalakevi, Potskhi. The boxes will be stationed in the public spaces, tourist zones, near schools, squares.

The local volunteers who are members of various NGOs, the local eco club, and local municipality, will manage the collection of the waste and its transportation to the final destination. While currently the bottles go to Tsalenjikha, a small facility will soon open in Zugdidi, which can become our primary target for waste recycling. We are partnering with the local Sakrebulo and Gamgeoba and currently 30 volunteers are involved in the waste collection.

The earnings from the provided bottles will be used to cover the transportation costs. With this action we gradually introduce the European methods of waste management to the population.

Sustainability:

The citizens will become more aware of the issue and will get into habit of the garbage separation. The amount of garbage will reduce and overall the ecology will improve.

Equal gender opportunity:

Everyone needs to recycle and everyone will benefit from a cleaner environment. Our volunteers are men and women.