At the end of July, Help signed cooperation agreements with the company “Eko-plast” from Vladicin Han and the association “Roma Humanitarian Centre” from Bujanovac. The cooperation started within the Help project “Enhancing awareness and employment through recycling” the goal of which is to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and employment of informal waste collectors. Already on Monday, 2 August, ten unemployed persons from the group of marginalised citizens were employed for at least one year, five in “Eko-plast” and five in the Association “RHC” Bujanovac.
Employees will receive the appropriate protective equipment and specialised training, and Help will also provide a budget for their salaries for the first ten months. Help will also cover the part of the costs of depreciation of new equipment for the treatment of plastic waste of the company “Eko-plast” and the Association “RHC” Bujanovac. “Eko-plast” deals with the collection, purchase, storage, sorting (separation), processing and sale of recycled materials. The “RHC” Association has been in identical business since 2013, collecting, sorting (separation), baling (pressing) PET and cardboard packaging. In addition, the RHC has been educating women on the importance of health care since 2001.
Informal and formal collectors of secondary raw materials, especially plastic waste, whose purchase price has been significantly reduced since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, feel an additional burden to feed their families. Falling purchase prices of plastic waste, increased risk of infection and inability to provide a regular source of income puts them in an even more difficult position than before the pandemic.
Following the global changes and needs of the local population and local communities, Help, with the support of the German Government and the PREVENT Association, started the project to create new employment opportunities by connecting informal waste collectors with recycling companies and organisations. In this way, the project employs members of marginalised groups, increases recycling and raises awareness about the harmfulness of plastic waste.
The PREVENT Waste Alliance serves as a platform for exchange and international cooperation. Organisations from the private sector, academia, civil society and public institutions jointly engage for a circular economy. The PREVENT members contribute to minimising waste, eliminating pollutants and maximising the re-utilisation of resources in the economy worldwide. They strive to reduce waste pollution in low- and middle-income countries and work together for the prevention, collection, and recycling of waste, as well as the increased uptake of secondary resources. The PREVENT Waste Alliance was launched in 2019 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). More information: https://prevent-waste.net/en/.
