The CALL-Action project focused on waste management challenges in the Transcarpathia region in Ukraine. Where around 3 million tonnes of waste accumulated in 200 landfills up to 2020. This region faced environmental problems due to limited centralised waste collection and lack of recycling. Waste has been dumped into surrounding forests and rivers. The waste will soon reach downstream waters, including Hungary. To help, Diageo Zrt. has joined forces with the Plastic Cup Society to implement a two-year CALL-Action programme, which has collected and processed more than 1 million kg of waste.
The CALL-Action project aimed to promote selective waste collection and ensure proper waste treatment for the population of Transcarpathia. The two-year initiative aimed to improve the living conditions of at least 120,000 people living along the Tisza River by returning tonnes of valuable selective waste to the recycling loop and creating job opportunities in the region. The target was to collect, separate and process at least 690 tonnes of waste over the 2-year period of the CALL-Action project. This commitment was met within one year, by 31 December 2022. By 31 October 2023, the total amount of waste collected and processed was close to 1 200 tonnes. The project involved more than 21 municipalities, 29 schools and 61 800 residents and students.
Project work was implemented in cooperation:
Ruslan Shvarts, Head of LLC Zakarpatekovtorsyrovyna - Experienced waste management specialist in Uzhhorod, who collects and processes recyclable waste in several municipalities in the region;
Viktor Buchynskyy, Head of Colourful Bins - Head of the Berehovo waste yard, who is also a local influencer in raising public awareness;
Anna Sabadosh, head of the Green Varosh Association - an environmental education teacher in Uzhhorod. She teaches waste management and prevention skills for different age groups.
How did we achieve this result?
We increased waste collection capacity by setting up selective waste collection points for residents and institutions in several locations in Uzhhorod. We have also put into service a waste collection minibus and a broken-down waste truck. We also provided important equipment such as forklift trucks and baling machines, and contributed to the installation of an electricity network.
The war started almost simultaneously with the CALL-Action programme, which fundamentally changed waste management in Transcarpathia. Human resources became an everyday problem as men were mobilised to join the army. The electricity supply was interrupted, and the partners' sites had only occasional electricity. This meant that they could not keep the equipment running and process the waste at the same time as it was being collected. The lack of electricity often meant that primary working conditions, such as lighting, were not guaranteed. Further sales of waste were insecure. Existing purchasers sometimes stopped the flow of some materials. Then, the accumulated waste was left on the site, waiting to be sold.
In the unpredictable conditions of war, CALL-Action project support often enabled partners in Transcarpathia not only to meet their commitments, but also to ensure the basic survival of their businesses, to cover operating costs and to provide financial cover for the employment of existing staff. The project also played an important role in raising awareness of waste management professionals.
The result of the education will be to make selective collection at home a routine and the practice of dumping rubbish by the river a dark stain from the past. The activity was carried out by the Zelenyi Varosh (Green City in English) Association. They created the project website, available in Ukrainian and English, https://callaction.com.ua/
The CALL-Action programme was a highly successful cooperation, which was realised with the support of Diageo Zrt., the professional coordination of the Plastic Cup Society and the Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises, and the dedicated work of the Transcarpathian partners. The targeted amount of waste collected and processed was achieved in one year instead of two years. The impact of the programme will not only last for the project period, but will continue for as long as the equipment is in use. They will undoubtedly have a role to play, as the increased population due to the influx of refugees from other parts of the country generates more packaging waste, which can be recycled with proper treatment. We look forward to announcing the continuation of the project soon!
written by Zsuzsanna Bitter
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