Activity Report 2009

1. Achievement of recovery and recycling targets

In 2009 ECOPACK is achieving the recovery and recycling targets on behalf of 1311 companies. The overall quantitative recovery and recycling target set in the legislation for 2009 is 45% and the specific targets by material: plastic - 17%, glass - 46%, paper - 60%, metals - 50% and timber - 15%.

By 31.12.2009 the total packaging amount put on the market by the members of ECOPACK is 131 065 tons. We have collected and recycled 64 619 tons of packaging waste and have achieved 49.3%. The achievement of the specific targets by material is the following: plastic - 26.71%, glass - 51.66%, paper - 76.03%, metals - 109.37% and timber - 26.44%.

2. Covering population in systems for separate packaging waste collection

By 31.12.2009 ECOPACK has 20 196 colored containers on the territory of 100 municipalities. 3 447 of the containers are situated to collect packaging waste from commercial, administrative, tourist and other sites. We are serving effectively 2 975 837 inhabitants. We are operating already 9 own sorting installations - Sofia (2 installations), Varna, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Stara Zagora, Pleven, Pazardzik, Plovdiv and Vratza. There is a stable tendency of increasing the households packaging waste amounts separately collected and delivered for recycling - about 3 000 tons in 2007, 11 140 tons in 2008 and 19 462 tons in 2009.

3. Measures for informing and attracting consumers to practice the separate packaging waste collection

In the beginning of 2009 ECOPACK started preparation activities to fulfill its egagements towards the partner-municipalities in the campaign "BE UP-TO-DATE! SEPARATE YOUR WASTE!". It was conducted in 2008 in 97 partner-municipalities and covered over 2.5 million inhabitants. It aimed at motivating people in the partner-municipalities to separate their packaging waste and to stimulate their environment-responsible attitude and care. For each ton recyclable packaging waste separately collected by the population in the respective municipality ECOPACK made improvements in the municipal infrastructure in the specific scheme. Delivery of both energy saving bulbs and public lighting bulbs started in the beginning of June. Trees in this campaign were delivered in the period October-November due to the seasonal nature and the specifics of the donation.

In April and May 2009 we implemented the Eco-Class Project - educational program for pupils from 1 to 4 grade developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). Program has covered 60 schools in some of the partner-municipalities. Its classes were explaining how the systems for separate collection are operating, how to throw the packaging in order to generate recyclable secondary raw materials, how the resources are re-processed and what could be produced by recycled materials. Project aimed at convincing children that separate packaging waste collection makes sense, teaching them to apply the systems properly and motivating them to contribute to the cleanness of their city.

For the purposes of the program we have developed and coordinated with the MoES the following education and information materials were:

            а.         Teacher's Folder - outline and sample text for the class; methodology guidelines for 1, 2, 3 and 4 grade; additional information materials;

            b.         10 presentation boards for class visualization - one set for each school;

            c.         Education booklets for the pupils - the following age groups: 1-2 grade and 3-4 grade.

Schedule for classes was coordinated with the Regional Education Inspectorates. Each pupil received either educational puzzle (for 1-2 grade) or educational cardboard game "Eco Journey" (3-4 grade) as well as additional information materials for the parents.

In 60 kindergartens we distributed education booklets specially designed by experts for the children in this age group. Booklets in amusing manner tell the children how properly to collect and throw the packaging waste.

In the beginning of June 2009 "Be up-to-date! Separate your waste!" campaign continued in all partner-municipalities by production and free-of-charge distribution of household containers for separate packaging waste collection. The idea for the creation of the household container originated after conducting of a nation-representative sociological study about public attitudes towards separate packaging waste collection commissioned by ECOPACK and conducted by GfK in November 2008. Lack of appropriate container was brought out by the public as main reason for not practicing separate collection at home. Therefore, ECOPACK developed a container prototype that would give people a real opportunity to separate packaging waste in their very homes. Container is with three sections: for paper and cardboard packaging, for plastic and metal packaging and third - for glass bottles and jars. It is compact, in order not to take space, and constructed in such manner that is convenient for use and depletion. Packaging separation would facilitate both their proper discharge in the three colored containers of the respective municipal system and the increase of the amounts of recyclable raw materials collected by the inhabitants.

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