USAID Plastic Recycling project, through public-private partnerships, has been setting up a program to collect and process recyclable plastic waste, specifically plastic bottles, and to turn recycling into a viable business in Macedonia. This process is complicated and involves multiple partners, but the results are starting to come in.
Last week, the project announced the creation of “ecological islands” in four pilot municipalities – Gostivar, Strumica, Kocani and Karpos – where residents can dispose of plastic bottles which will be collected for recycling. Simultaneously, a comprehensive awareness campaign will be launched to educate the public, especially youth, on the importance of recycling. Recycling clubs are being started in the primary schools and they will be an integral part of the public education campaign. Based on the success of this initial phase, the program will be rolled out to other municipalities across Macedonia. |
