Unpacking Waste Recycling Projects in Mongolia Online Event
February 4, 2021 Press releases

Unpacking Waste Recycling Projects in Mongolia Online Event

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, 4 February 2021: The Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) in Mongolia with the National Research Council (CNR-IRISS) are organizing the “Unpacking Waste Recycling Projects in Mongolia” online event. They will present two projects, namely 3R for a Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Ulaanbaatar (3R4UB) and Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia (SPRIM). They are funded by the European Union SWITCH – Asia programme. The projects’ stakeholders are involved the event: central, municipal, district, aimag and soum administrations, local communities and plastic recycling SMEs,.

Plastics are an important material in our economy, and modern daily life is unthinkable without them. At the same time however, they can have serious downsides on the environment and health. The fundamental principle of the project activities is sustainability. The European Union always strives to support sustainable green development in Mongolia.” said the Ambassador of the European Union to Mongolia, H.E. Mr Traian Hristea.

 “Plastic waste is clogging up landfills, blocking drains, polluting water and contributing to biodiversity loss. Thus, we implement the “Sustainable plastic recycling in Mongolia’ to contribute to economic prosperity and poverty reduction and support the development of a green economy and the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy in Mongolia.” emphasized Jana Zilkova, Head of CCR in Mongolia during the online event.

“The number of inhabitants in urbanised areas in Mongolia has tripled in the last 40 years and the trend is continuing to grow, also due to climate change. Concentration in urban areas leads to an increase in waste production. It is estimated that from the current 1 kg per capita production, this will rise to 2.5 kg. It is time to act, rediscovering the values of Mongolian culture based on respect for the environment, implementing solutions to reduce the amount of waste produced and save natural resources, as well as introducing in Mongolia some principle of EU Taxonomy.” declares Alfonso Morvillo Scientific Coordinator of the 3R4UB project.

 Totally, 3.4 million tons of waste is generated every year. Plastic waste accounts for 10 – 15 percent of the total waste in Mongolia. Therefore, the project team of the Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia works to improve the current production cycle of products made from recycled plastics by supporting SMEs in the plastic recycling sector. Health, safety and quality standards for products made by recycled plastic will be developed. Moreover, it is planned to enable access to advanced equipment and technologies for plastic recycling companies under the project. In addition, CCR in Mongolia is planning to improve the system for plastic waste collection, sorting and classification through building a network of communities and CSOs to focus on raising consumers’ awareness of plastic waste separation and collection at all levels, including kindergartens, primary and high schools, universities, state and public institutions. This will be done together with four project partners, the Environment and Security Center of Mongolia, EcoSoum, Mongolian Sustainable Development Bridge, and T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute. The Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia project is being implemented from May 2020 to April 2024. The project target area is Ulaanbaatar city, Bulgan province and Khishig-Undur soum.

The 3R4UB project will stimulate reduction and reuse of waste, drafting a robust model of separate collection, managed by Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and the City of Ulaanbaatar, through a Pilot Demonstration Project. It will build up the capacity of ministries and sub-national agencies to promote Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), through the involvement of the Mongolian Government Agency Fresh Water Resources and Nature Conservation Centre (FWRNCC), and improve their expertise through technical training, workshops and field visits. As a result of the 3R4UB project, the City of Ulaanbaatar's waste sorting plant will be reactivated and the sorting of recyclable waste will resume. Young people will be involved in the project through the participation of schools. At those selected schools involved in the project, an environmental education course, with a focus on waste, will be held. Students will be encouraged to recycle waste produced at school and at home. The collected waste will be sent for recycling, creating favorable economic conditions and benefiting the community. The 3R4UB project is being implemented from May 2020 until April 2024. The project target area is Ulaanbaatar City. 3R4UB is an international cooperation project between Italy and Mongolia, supported by the European Union - Asia Switch Programme. The project is led by CNR-IRISS and the partnership of the City of Ulanbaatar, FWRNCC and Metellia Servizi.

12

03

15

21