The project "We recycle WEEE and achieve the SDGs" is implemented by AO "EcoDigital" with the financial support of the Small Grants Program (SGP), implemented by UNDP and falls within the priorities of Strategic Initiative 3 of the GEF SGP Country Strategy. The general objective of the project is to reduce the impact of WEEE on the environment and health by expanding the separate collection network of WEEE at the national level and increasing the number of the population informed and motivated to responsibly and correctly manage this hazardous waste in the household and at the workplace. The project was conceived as a continuation of the Clean City with Recycled e-Waste project implemented with the support of the Small Grants Program (SGP) in the period 2018-2020, directly contributing to the achievement of at least eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with no. 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17.
Thus, the project aims to expand the WEEE collection infrastructure by creating new collection points and respectively expanding the existing infrastructure from 128 WEEE collection points to 200, distributed throughout the country. Another important component of the project is the Education and Awareness of the population and the promotion of the principle of Repair (eng.Repair), according to the best world practices, which allows extending the life of the equipment. In this sense, the project proposed setting up a laboratory class within the College of Ecology - the WEEE class, which will be equipped with various samples of WEEE, which will allow the study and visualization in detail of the types of materials from which they are composed ( plastic, metal, electronics, etc.). The laboratory will be used as a space for organizing WEEE repair workshops and various informative sessions/workshops, including after the completion of the project.
RESULTS OF THE PROJECT:
- Expansion of WEEE collection points at national level. Total purchased within the project – 78 dumpsters (68 – small dumpsters and 10 – large dumpsters). As a result, including the "Clean City with Recycled e-Waste" project, the WEEE collection infrastructure at the national level has been expanded up to 206 dumpsters. It has also been updated Map of WEEE collection points.
- Reducing the amount of WEEE ending up in landfills and increasing recycling rates. During the implementation of the project, by organizing 2 collection campaigns (autumn 2021 and spring 2022) with the support of partners SRL "Moldrec Group" and SRL "EcoRecycling", about 110 tons of WEEE were collected and prepared for recycling, equivalent to the reduction of 158.4 tons of CO2 emissions. This result is a very good and representative one, a fact that confirms the importance of the correct management of WEEE in the Republic of Moldova in order to achieve the objective assumed by Moldova, namely to unconditionally reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 70% by 2030 , compared to 1990.
- Increasing the level of knowledge in the field of the correct management of WEEE. It was equipped with a WEEE laboratory class within the College of Ecology. In total, 12 boxes were developed with disassembled WEEE (the most used EEE in the household), to show what they are composed of: mobile phone, TV, refrigerator, washing machine, laptop, electric kettle, iron, toy , hair dryer, batteries, lamps. Were
organized 14 offline information workshops on the importance of the correct collection of WEEE and delivery to specialized collection points. The workshops were organized in different institutions from several regions of the country: Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, Căușeni, Drochia, Florești, Ialoveni, Nisporeni, Sîngerei, Telenești, UTAG. About 1,500 people - students and teachers - participated in the seminars. - It was done Study on WEEE generation and management.
- Stimulating the civic and participatory spirit of citizens in reducing the impact of WEEE on the environment and health. During the project, 2 collection campaigns were organized: autumn 2021 and spring 2022. For this purpose, the beneficiaries of the project were offered, for a period of 1-2 weeks, customized tents for the collection of WEEE and the stimulation of the population to collect WEEE. In the spring 2022 collection campaign, AO EcoDigital also had Sandriliona SRL as a partner. As a result, students from 5 educational institutions were rewarded with ice cream (2500 ice creams) for the involvement and responsibility they showed during the project and the collection campaign. At the same time, in partnership with the Makeri Youth Club, AO EcoDigital participated and organized 3 Repair Workshops for defective EEE, explaining and demonstrating in a practical way how important it is to extend the life of a defective equipment by repairing it. The first workshop was organized with the participation of young people from the Center for Excellence in Informatics and Information Technologies, followed by another workshop organized on the occasion of #EUTechDays Cahul. The last workshop was organized in the WEEE Class in the premises of the College of Ecology.
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