N/A at this point

N/A at this point

N/A at this point

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.