Reconnecting with nature; Building a “Hand – recycling lab”
You can help us too! Be part of our good will to preserve our resources and the environment, throwing away as little as possible and collecting as much as possible. With your help we can manage waste and provide a cleaner and healthier environment. We meet together on the ground to collect, recycle and reuse waste. Together we can increase the quality of the environment we live in!
National
Albania
Tirana municipality
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
According to World Wordlife Fund (WWF) Albania is considered one of the most problematic countries with the highest percentage of untreated plastic waste, 73%. According to World Bank (2021) approximattely 65% of marine waste in Albania are synthetic polymers and 58.5% are found along the coast because of the improper waste disposal. Recently, according to a pioneer study in Albania, microplastic pollution in Kun-Vai lagoonary complex was confirmed (Aliko et al. 2022). Given rising concern over plastic pollution, on April 26, 2018, with the decision of the Council of Minister no.232 “ For some changes and additions to the Decisions of the Council of Ministers no.177, dated 6.3.2012 “On plastic packaging and their waste” the Albanian government tried to reduce plastic pollution by the introduction of plastic bag charges. The government required that the new plastic material should have no less than 55 percent raw material from recycling or bio-degradable material, which dissolve in the environment and do not remain as a toxic residue. Pricing policy is considered an effective way to reduce plastic bag use (Jakovcevic et al. 2014; Monast and Virdin, 2022). Empowering local communities to actively participate in sustainability efforts is considered very important. Additionally, risk perception of plastic pollution can be improved by the utilization of citizen science which is considered of great value for informing evidence-based policy aimed to address and reduce plastic pollution (Syberg et al. 2018; Nelms et al. 2022). Through this concept we intend to reconnect young people with Nature and to protect our environment for us and for our future generations.
Through this concept we aim to:
1. Improve our life quality and our environment too.
2. To decrease the CO2 levels.
3. To reduce the energy cost.
4. To reduce the negative impacts in the environment.
5. To conserve natural resources.
6. To reduce air and water pollution.
7. To reduce greenhouse gases.
recycling
garbage
plastics
WASTE MANAGEMENT
reuse
As a group of individuals who came up with the idea of the concept, we plan to build a recycling laboratory in the university and keep it as an integral part of the private university Western Balkan University. Our goal is for this recycling culture to be as long-term as possible and to have as much scope as possible, especially among young people, along with Improving our life quality and our environment in terms of: decreasing the CO2 levels, reducing the energy cost, reducing the negative impacts in the environment, conserving natural resources, reducing air and water pollution, reducing greenhouse gases. Recycling reduces the need to grow, harvest or extract new raw materials from the Earth. That in turn lessens the harmful disruption and damage being done to the natural world: fewer forests cut down, rivers diverted, wild animals harmed or displaced, and less pollution of water, soil and air. Also, it will become part of the university's policies to promote the activity of the laboratory, including the professorship, thus the sustainability of the project and the inclusion of as many people as possible: young people, researchers and simple civilians will be possible.
In order to reach high rate of visibility and promotion, a graphic design expert and a content writer will be contracted in order to devise and produce the most coherent promotional products. Informal and popular slogans will be created, as well as designs with popular motifs that promote recycling in the form of illustrations, banners, T-shirts, etc. Through open invitations and recruitment in groups, it will be possible to have a diversity of participants who will be able to share and learn from each other even on a cultural level. Also, the activities will take place in open environments and in groups, so everyone can socialize together and create a warmer atmosphere. All participants will learn about capacity building in processing and laboratory work. Also, there will be an increase in the quality of life for all members of the community through a cleaner and healthier landscape.
In terms of including as many individuals as possible, without racial, gender, ethnic, or class discrimination, it will be done through various invitations or advertisements, so everyone will be included and not just a certain group. It is planned to include at least 200 people together with university students. Thus, calls will be made on social networks, promotions will be made on the Internet, and at least one television appearance on the launch of the concept so that all age groups can be notified and those interested will be able to be part of the implementation of the project. Calls will be opened calls and will be distributed to about 100 people. Through the distribution of the announcement by different mediums, a certain 'democratization' of the possibilities of inclusion will be possible. The participants and students will be divided into 5 different teams, which will carry out their action in the areas determined by the experts as the most problematic. Then it will be possible, through the skills and qualifications of all the participants, to engage according to their wishes and preferences, in this way the participants will feel included and comfortable.
Since part of the initiative is the inclusion of as many groups of society as possible, we will get in touch with different organizations that focus on the environmental issue, in order to organize some actions in urban and coastal areas for the collection of plastic waste. Thus, 5 different groups will be able to give their contribution and help in the completion of the project. Citizens will also be able to participate. The recruitment of citizens will be done through the opening of calls, invitations and advertising in networks. Different groups divided into teams will be organized, which will take their action in the areas determined by the experts as the most problematic areas due to pollution. The expected impact for environmental organizations, as well as citizens, is primarily a cleaner and healthier environment. Also, public bins will be placed so that everyone can dispose waste accordingly. In addition, it will be aimed to root a culture of preservation and care for the environment, promoting as many methods as possible for the preservation of the environment.
First, questionnaires were organized with the students, to judge their level of involvement in this project. Afterwards, interviews were conducted with the decision makers for the scope of the project. Then, round tables were held with the academic board and the administrative staff of Western Balkan University to build an efficient plan of activities and to assess the needs in the framework of the environmental issue. All of them gave their ideas as experts in logistics and the environmental issue together with the most efficient activities for this issue.
The primary disciplines for the conception of a recycling laboratory are those of the natural sciences, such as chemistry and biology, through which researchers from these fields bring insight and recycling probabilities. We also cooperated with national and regional institutions to extract statistical data on the level of pollution in Albania, as well as the areas that need immediate intervention. Also, we have communicated with engineers to bring technology facilities that will assist in different stages of the creation of the lab, from design to engineering to operation. Then, with different scientists, we founded the lab program, which mainly consists of: Lab Plastic Recycling includes any Non-Hazardous
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) Bottles or Trays
• High Density Polyethylene Bottles (HDPE)
• Polypropylene Containers (PP) - This includes Pipette Tip Boxes or any other
• Clearly marked containers or bottles.
• Clear Rigid Polystyrene (PS) Containers - This includes flasks, containers or
• Bottles.
We currently have waste management strategies in Albania, undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, which are mainly related to waste disposal. In 2011, Albania drafted a National Strategy for Waste Management quite ambitious covering the period 2010-2025, a period in which the government hoped that Albania would succeed in becoming a member state of the EU. This strategy aimed to harmonize Albania's legislation on waste management with The Waste Framework Directive and the EU acquis. The legislative framework was based in the need to protect public health, the environment and the economy, as well as intended for waste management to become a "priority issue". Like the policy of EU on waste management, Albania's strategy emphasized the reduction of quantity of waste, renewal of resources, and maximization of recycling and reuse of waste. The purpose of the concept in this field is to undertake initiatives for waste recycling and reuse and also offering clear reports on waste management probabilities. In this sense, the project represents an innovation with a recycling laboratory, and the electronic lab notebook in which all data will be recorded. For each lab work through this notebook, will be a specific report the model of which aims to be a pilot in the region and beyond.
The establishment of a recycling laboratory is an element of the concept, which can be placed in other universities, public or private, as well as in institutions or organizations that focus on the environmental issue. In addition to the laboratory, different waste management strategies, starting from their classification, can be a model to be adopted by other entities.
In Albania, waste management is one of the sharpest problems, due to the continuous increase in consumption, population displacement and economic development. Only a small part of the waste is recycled, while, in most cases, it is deposited near the cities, where, not infrequently, it is also burned, causing high pollution of the environment and air. The aim of this concept is to reduce the level of soil, water and air pollution through recycling and reuse strategies. This will be achieved through the establishment of a recycling laboratory that will enable the reuse of waste.
