Project Detail

Say No to Plastic Bag

Designed to support government and other institutions during the transition towards banning single use plastic bags, the ?Say No Plastic Bag? project aims to promote the use of reusable bags, raise awareness among locals and contribute to behavior change through identifying the most successful ways to promote a #noplasticbag lifestyle. As part of the project, the team will develop a large collection of reusable bags made of environmentally friendly and durable materials (23,000 bags with a design approved by the Ministry of Environment), organize awareness campaigns and develop a series of distribution channels to ensure that every citizen in the selected area has access to reusable bags. The team will also collect information on stakeholders' interests and their behavior, conduct reuse and sustainability training, work with local schools and other stakeholder organizations interested in textile waste and recycling, etc. The team will also test a deposit system approach (for all age groups) by exchanging bags for recyclables. The team will also develop social media campaigns; in collaboration with local bloggers and other active social media personalities. The "Loyalty Bag" project will also be promoted, thanks to which a loyalty scheme and a model of passing multiple bags will be introduced in one community/store. To identify the best ways to promote the concept, the team will collect data and conduct key analysis to show the most and least successful approaches, which can then be presented to the Ministry of Environment for further action.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Sustainable Innovation Center for Community Development

Country:

Armenia

Area Of Work:

CapDev

Operational Phase:

OP7 Y3 (July 22-June 23)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 5,800.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 12,460.00

Project Number:

ARM/SGP/OP7/Y3/CORE/CD/23/15

Start Date:

8/2023

End Date:

7/2024

Status:

Currently under execution

Project Characteristics and Results

Notable Community Participation

Being a non-governmental organization founded by mostly young women, the involvement of youth, women and other target groups in the activities of the organization is a primary goal. Within the framework of the project, it is planned to involve a group of young volunteers who will support the successful implementation of activities during the various stages of the project. The team will organize a set of awareness raising and capacity development activities for youth in the selected communities aimed at promoting their interest in ensuring the sustainability of the project being its funding. The youth will also support the transition process of cultural change.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

N/A

Linkages gef projects

N/A at this point

Planning gef grant

N/A at this point

Planning non gef grant

N/A at this point

Replication of project activities

One of the principles of the project design was the ease of replication of certain activities since the team aims at creating large, nation-wide impact that will also support the government in enforcing the recent law on single use plastic bags. During the project implementation a set of data will be collected to be used for future replication by the NGOs, government and/or other entities.

Capacity - Building Component

Since the organization is newly established, it still needs to improve its capacity in project reporting and administrative management, and for this purpose the team will actively work with its partner organizations to ensure the full success of the project and overall management of the organization.

Policy Impact

The project doesn?t aim at producing a policy; however, it aims at supporting the Government in introducing new alternative solutions aimed at supporting the law on banning certain types of single use plastic bags and contributing to behavior change.

Project sustainability

The project is mainly designed to be implemented in the capital Yerevan, however, it is planned to test it in Armavir community as well, where the idea of "Loyalty bag" will be applied, as well as public awareness campaigns will be carried out. Various awareness-raising activities, waste collection and waste reduction campaigns, etc., will be implemented in the selected communities. The team will collaborate with schools and other institutions in selected communities. The project will not only enable to create new jobs (for making bags), but also reduce the use of resources, the use of single-use bags, the amount of waste sent to landfills, etc. All this will contribute to reduced emissions caused by improper waste management. The developed materials and documents will be available through online platforms that will contribute to further awareness raising. Incorporating part of the Loyalty Bag concept into other projects will also support its continuity and allow different stores and individuals to benefit from bonus systems, etc.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will create several jobs within which over 23,000 reusable bags will be created ensuring additional income source for the selected stakeholders. In addition, by providing reusable bags to the stakeholders the team will support families in saving money spent on single-use plastic bags. Through the capacity development activities, the participants will also receive practical skills which later they can use to provide services to other possible clients.

Gender Focus

The team particularly emphasizes the importance of developing the women's knowledge in rural communities and their involvement in this project. In addition, the majority of direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project will be women and youth, who will support the implementation of cultural change and the sustainability of the project in the future. The team also plans to collaborate with various women's groups that will make reusable bags, which is a dominant part of the project budget, meaning it will allow them to create a new source of income and ensure their independence. They will also have an opportunity to get practical skills on upcycling and treating textile waste.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The team plans to implement a series of awareness and knowledge dissemination activities to build a culture of reusable bag use, recycling and waste reduction for communities. The entire project implementation process will be presented to interested companies/individuals/other entities in order to ensure the promotion of culture. In addition, the public will also be presented with options on how to receive reusable bags for textile waste and how to apply unique approaches to the deposit system. A report will be also prepared, which will highlight all successful testing, as well as the problems and complications that the team encountered during the implementation of the project. Considering that the team offers a relatively new culture for Armenia, targeting the youth is more effective and appropriate. Working with educational institutions, holding events and competitions will ensure the involvement of young people. Involving youth and children in the project will ensure its sustainability in the long term. Within the framework of the project, a number of approaches to prevent multiple use bag transitions will be developed and applied, and results from each approach will be collected and presented for further application to structures of interest. The team will also develop a series of informational materials that will be available to the general public and help spread the culture more effectively.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The team will organize a set of active communication campaigns, will work with the local media, bloggers and influencers, as well as develop a set of communication materials. The team will also conduct a set of awareness raising trainings and practical workshops. In addition, the team aims at organizing various events and opportunities for people to win/exchange/receive reusable bags.

Policy Influence

The team will support the law on single use plastic bags and will test various options to motivate and convince people to switch from single use plastic bags to more sustainable and reusable alternatives. During the implementation of the project the team will collect data on the best practices in terms of dissemination of bags, offering alternative solutions and changing the culture that can support the government in this transition period.

Project Results

The project will produce the following results:

? Newly formed culture promoting the use of tote bags by introducing at least 23,000 new reusable bags;
? More than 10 tons of waste avoided due to at least 250,000 unused disposable bags;
? 45,000 beneficiaries improved their environmental knowledge online or offline;
? At least 4 approaches to promote multiple bags tested;
? Improved knowledge of at least one point of sale/network;
? Availability of alternative solutions to single-use bags and skills to give new life to textile waste;
? Reduction of about 30 tons of CO2 emissions;
? At least 10 new jobs (short-term and long-term) created.

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Indicators

Empowerment

Number and type of support linkages established with national government institutions 1

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 45000

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