Recycling in Përmet

Year: 2018
Country: Albania
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Environment
Project Investment: $500.00

Project Launch: 2-13-18

Përmet, Albania is a marginalized city with enormous potential. Within the region, agricultural development and sustainable tourism are seen as the future of area’s economy, and environmental protection is an acknowledged community need. Intervention and education are necessary to promote, preserve, and protect the area’s natural resources. The goal of this project is to strengthen local capacity in waste management in Përmet. Objectives include increasing the amount of recyclables collected and increasing the number of residents and businesses participating in recycling programs. In this way, the area's natural beauty can be preserved and better marketed in order to interface Përmet into the regional economy.

Project Update: 6-1-18

Community representatives and partner associations signed a memorandum of understanding outlining key responsibilities concerning refuse management. Permet received 8 recycling bins in order to better sort different classes of refuse. Two recycling specialists provided three hour-long sessions at several local schools. The presentations covered topics such as environmental protection, the importance of recycling, the uses of recycled materials, and EU standards for waste collection. Over 115 individuals received training in environmental sustainability and recycling. An art competition featuring art fashioned from local recyclables featured the work of 39 students from Përmet. 25 used oil containers will be deployed to Përmet's local restaurants, hotels, and businesses in the next stage of the project.

Final Report: 10-17-18

Përmet has seen many changes in the community. 14 recycling bins were installed in 3 local schools and 112 students participated in waste management workshops in which they learned about environmental protection. Following the workshops, 39 students took part in a competition, working together in small groups to create original projects out of recycled materials. Participants practiced teamwork and problem solving to come up with unique solutions to a critical thinking issue. Finally, 13 business owners and their staff were trained in the proper disposal of cooking oil and provided with recycling infrastructure. At the close of the project, 2 businesses had implemented the recycling system in their establishments, and other businesses may follow suit in the future.