The project "Plastic Waste in the Circular Economy: Community Solutions" is designed to be implemented by NGO ?Green is Moldova? in partnership with NGO ?Association for Waste Recovery? (e-Circular.org) based on the importance and timeliness of circular approaches (e.g., prevention systems, reuse, alternatives to disposable products) as innovative solutions to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated at national level.
The importance of the project for the Republic of Moldova is primarily argued by increasing the amount of waste including plastic generated during last 10 years, most of which is eliminated by landfilling. By now, the recycling rate of plastic waste is only 4-5%, the rest of the quantities generated (estimated 34 kg / person / year) end up in landfills. As a result, in addition to heavy environmental pollution, there is also an impact on public health, mainly due to disposable products made from a wide range of plastics with the addition of various additives. Also, not less important is that recycling of plastic waste is not the most environmentally friendly option in reducing pollution, and separate collection of plastic waste at source does not guarantee its recycling. That is way, other innovative and circular solutions are needed to be implemented, based directly on the principles of the Waste Hierarchy with an emphasis on Prevention, Reduction and Reuse.
The project which NGO ?Green is Moldova? intend to implement represent a strategic step which is required to create a circular economy for plastic. So, as plastic waste management has never been a complex research topic at national level, the project will start with elaboration of the first National Reference Study and an Action Plan to reduce pollution from plastic waste. All the data collected and analyzed through this research will bring together the representatives from central and local authorities, private sector, operators for plastic waste collection and treatment, NGO, citizens and will represent a start point for planned activities.
An important part of national action plan will be the promotion of ?Zero Waste? Communities. Through the project we intend to support and work with 3 localities (Straseni, Orhei and Soroca), applying the best methods to organize a responsible waste management with an emphasis on prevention / reuse and disposal of single use plastics, as the only and safest in terms of economics, environment, and social solution in reducing the amount of this waste reaching the landfill. Is important also to reflect the synergy of this project with other 2 projects which are now in the process of implementation by NGO ?Green is Moldova? ? ?Be.CULTOUR? and by AWR ? ?Informed citizen for a clean river?, which also will serve as a proof for co-financing. For example, Be.CULTOUR is an innovative project in order to create and test sustainable innovations for cultural tourism, using the principles of the circular economy, through collaborative innovation methodologies, delivering best practices in the tourism industry. That is way for each of 3 localities were selected at least one touristic attraction (Str??eni / C?priana Monastery, Orhei / Orheiul Vechi and Soroca / Soroca Fortress) were will be possible to implement one or several innovative solutions to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated. On the other hand, the project ?Informed citizen for a clean river? deliver the necessary knowledge and activities for organizing a community clean-up campaign and to sensitize the community on the need for participation in waste management efforts.

Of course, public awareness campaigns that engage and educate local communities on plastic waste and affect consumer choices are very important in every step of project implementation. Less plastic waste means more people involved in its prevention, that is way we plan to launch the national campaign #GiveUpPLASTIC which will also represent the slogan of the project for the entire implementation period. The campaign will be launched during the international movement #PlasticFreeJuly and #breakfreefromplastic and will bring together representatives of the target group to promote the most innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste through #reuse, #refill, etc. Not less important if the online knowledge platform ?Young eco-Innovators Club?, which will bring together the young people to speak, discover and share information about how to act circular in a community, how to prevent waste, etc. Here we also will have teachers from different schools for whom will be prepared different educational toolkits materials as to be used during the lessons.