I want to be useful...recycle me!
Basic information
Project Title
I want to be useful...recycle me!
Full project title
I want to be useful... recycle me!
Category
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Project Description
I want to be useful...recycle me is a complex program, based on nudging, tactical urbanism, and community engagement, with three main aims and lines of action:
• Littering prevention
• Increasing recycling levels
• Beatification of public spaces
Through the program, we turn the care of the public environment into a stimulus for civic activity and responsibility.
• Littering prevention
• Increasing recycling levels
• Beatification of public spaces
Through the program, we turn the care of the public environment into a stimulus for civic activity and responsibility.
Geographical Scope
National
Project Region
Bulgaria
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
"I Want to Be Useful...Recycle Me" is a multifaceted program tailored to Bulgaria's specific context. The program is based on BGBA's nationally representative research and analysis of barriers and reasons why the country is behind recycling targets for municipal and packaging waste, and missing the targets on recycling plastic. Further informed by EC recommendations laid out in document 52023DC0304, the program has 3 lines of action and leading aims:
• Littering prevention through behavior change campaigns
• Increasing recycling levels through recycling infrastructure improvement
• Beatification of public spaces with the support of the community and utilizing placemaking
The program focuses on:
- Collaborating with municipalities to enhance waste collection infrastructure, especially in smaller settlements under 10,000 people;
- Partnering with recycling haulers to measure campaign effectiveness and ensure regular clean-up of new installations.
- Advising large event organizers (culture and sport sectors) on hosting #withoutwaste events.
- Activating communities through innovative events.
- Utilizing digital communication to encourage consistent waste separation.
- Amplifying our impact through advocacy and PR.
Outcomes
As the program has at its core the principles of circularity, from ensuring the extension of the lifecycle of materials, in this case plastic, through our Bottle-Eater installations to promoting sustainable practices across communities, thereby supporting the transition towards a regenerative and resilient industrial model. Our collaborative efforts with local governments have activated year-round community involvement, ensuring the program's enduring impact. Specific quantitative achievements are further presented in the last section of the application form.
• Littering prevention through behavior change campaigns
• Increasing recycling levels through recycling infrastructure improvement
• Beatification of public spaces with the support of the community and utilizing placemaking
The program focuses on:
- Collaborating with municipalities to enhance waste collection infrastructure, especially in smaller settlements under 10,000 people;
- Partnering with recycling haulers to measure campaign effectiveness and ensure regular clean-up of new installations.
- Advising large event organizers (culture and sport sectors) on hosting #withoutwaste events.
- Activating communities through innovative events.
- Utilizing digital communication to encourage consistent waste separation.
- Amplifying our impact through advocacy and PR.
Outcomes
As the program has at its core the principles of circularity, from ensuring the extension of the lifecycle of materials, in this case plastic, through our Bottle-Eater installations to promoting sustainable practices across communities, thereby supporting the transition towards a regenerative and resilient industrial model. Our collaborative efforts with local governments have activated year-round community involvement, ensuring the program's enduring impact. Specific quantitative achievements are further presented in the last section of the application form.
Key objectives for sustainability
Key objectives:
A/ Enhancing the plastic waste collection infrastructure, to ensure better plastic waste collection, in mid-size and small settlements by designing and donating creative separate waste collection installations – Bottle-eater in 3 sizes, each size designed for a particular location parks, plazas, schools, and pedestrian streets.
Results: From January to September 2023 we have donated and installed 54 creative recycling installations, resulting in +30 tons of clean plastic packaging collected of which 100% returned for recycling.
B/Activating and engaging communities through the coordination of:
- Multichannel events and interventions - among which implementing the World Recycling Day on the national level; Supporting the EuroVoley championships, World Rowing Championships, etc.
- Engaging, over 7 months, Bulgarian municipalities in various interventions and activities and a friendly inter-municipality challenge;
- Clean-ups of Illegal dumps in nature
Results: At the end of the project we had 1,189 volunteers, and physically reached 272,000 through the coordination of over 30 events and supporting 38 events to become #witouthwaste;
C/ Capacity building, Advocacy, and traditional PR activities to amplify the successes and showcase the impact of the program. Results: through the program implementation the awareness, nudging, and educational messaging has reached 10 ml people (according to an independent media monitoring report by Perceptica).
Specific examples of how the project is exemplary:
-The focus on small settlements, as these areas are often overlooked in terms of programs, capacity-building events, and investment;
- The use of creative and innovative solutions based on nudging and tactical urbanism, such as the Bottle-Eaters;
- The emphasis on creating wide partnerships across sectors and community engagement and capacity building for ensuring long-term sustainability.
A/ Enhancing the plastic waste collection infrastructure, to ensure better plastic waste collection, in mid-size and small settlements by designing and donating creative separate waste collection installations – Bottle-eater in 3 sizes, each size designed for a particular location parks, plazas, schools, and pedestrian streets.
Results: From January to September 2023 we have donated and installed 54 creative recycling installations, resulting in +30 tons of clean plastic packaging collected of which 100% returned for recycling.
B/Activating and engaging communities through the coordination of:
- Multichannel events and interventions - among which implementing the World Recycling Day on the national level; Supporting the EuroVoley championships, World Rowing Championships, etc.
- Engaging, over 7 months, Bulgarian municipalities in various interventions and activities and a friendly inter-municipality challenge;
- Clean-ups of Illegal dumps in nature
Results: At the end of the project we had 1,189 volunteers, and physically reached 272,000 through the coordination of over 30 events and supporting 38 events to become #witouthwaste;
C/ Capacity building, Advocacy, and traditional PR activities to amplify the successes and showcase the impact of the program. Results: through the program implementation the awareness, nudging, and educational messaging has reached 10 ml people (according to an independent media monitoring report by Perceptica).
Specific examples of how the project is exemplary:
-The focus on small settlements, as these areas are often overlooked in terms of programs, capacity-building events, and investment;
- The use of creative and innovative solutions based on nudging and tactical urbanism, such as the Bottle-Eaters;
- The emphasis on creating wide partnerships across sectors and community engagement and capacity building for ensuring long-term sustainability.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Our key objective was to create an appealing, different, notable, and lovable program that could be adopted by people as their own. With "I want to be useful...recycle me" we aimed to change the perception towards recycling and through this to prevent and stop plastic waste leakage into the environment.
The program is as much about recycling as also about behavior change. Guided by nudging theory, we worked to transform recycling from a chore into an engaging activity. We also designed an enabler of building and teaching recycling habits- The Bottle-Eater Installation. The installations are not just functional but also visually striking, accessible, and intuitive, turning recycling awareness into a fun, inclusive experience. Apart from their main functions, the installations started to serve as community hubs where people meet, and discuss environmental issues and are being used to translate environmental lessons.
Additionally, we created and coordinated a wide range of community activities and events fostering a sense of collective responsibility, aligning with NEB's value of creating beautiful connections across contexts. Through the different events, we aimed to instill a culture of recycling and environmental responsibility, aiming for a long-lasting movement.
As building capacities across partners and stakeholders is a key aim of the program we teamed with a number of event organizers from the cultural and sport sectors and supported them to organize their events as events #withoutwaste united under the overall branding and messaging of the program. Through this partnership we not only engaged the event organizers and nudged their thinking on how to reduce their environmental footprint but we also used the medium of events to teach people about recycling and environmental stewardship.
The program is as much about recycling as also about behavior change. Guided by nudging theory, we worked to transform recycling from a chore into an engaging activity. We also designed an enabler of building and teaching recycling habits- The Bottle-Eater Installation. The installations are not just functional but also visually striking, accessible, and intuitive, turning recycling awareness into a fun, inclusive experience. Apart from their main functions, the installations started to serve as community hubs where people meet, and discuss environmental issues and are being used to translate environmental lessons.
Additionally, we created and coordinated a wide range of community activities and events fostering a sense of collective responsibility, aligning with NEB's value of creating beautiful connections across contexts. Through the different events, we aimed to instill a culture of recycling and environmental responsibility, aiming for a long-lasting movement.
As building capacities across partners and stakeholders is a key aim of the program we teamed with a number of event organizers from the cultural and sport sectors and supported them to organize their events as events #withoutwaste united under the overall branding and messaging of the program. Through this partnership we not only engaged the event organizers and nudged their thinking on how to reduce their environmental footprint but we also used the medium of events to teach people about recycling and environmental stewardship.
Key objectives for inclusion
With "I want to be useful...recycle me" we didn't just provide a new service; we engaged communities in the design and governance of that service. We didn't just target the general population; we made a concerted effort to include those who are often left out. And we didn't just install recycling units; we made them free, fun, and educational, turning a mundane task into a community event. What we focussed on was:
- providing interactive and notable separate collection installations for interested and pro-active municipalities with a focus on municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants as they are completely cut off from separate collection systems.
- We also made a concerted effort to include less-represented communities, working with representatives of smaller settlements;
- In addition, we focussed on positioning the Bottle-Eaters in pedestrian, park, and playground areas of different settlements (currently there is no mass practice of installing recycling containers in public areas different from residential areas in Bulgaria) to ensure there is convenient infrastructure subtly nudging people to think and act in a more environmentally friendly way.
- We invested efforts to keep the Bottle-Eater installations free for smaller Municipalities and educational facilities as they have fewer economic resources. We managed to keep the installation free by partnering with businesses and recycling haulers to ensure accessibility.
- Our partnerships with municipalities and sector associations ensured that inclusion and open access to services were institutionalized, meeting NEB's criteria for formal, structural mechanisms.
- providing interactive and notable separate collection installations for interested and pro-active municipalities with a focus on municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants as they are completely cut off from separate collection systems.
- We also made a concerted effort to include less-represented communities, working with representatives of smaller settlements;
- In addition, we focussed on positioning the Bottle-Eaters in pedestrian, park, and playground areas of different settlements (currently there is no mass practice of installing recycling containers in public areas different from residential areas in Bulgaria) to ensure there is convenient infrastructure subtly nudging people to think and act in a more environmentally friendly way.
- We invested efforts to keep the Bottle-Eater installations free for smaller Municipalities and educational facilities as they have fewer economic resources. We managed to keep the installation free by partnering with businesses and recycling haulers to ensure accessibility.
- Our partnerships with municipalities and sector associations ensured that inclusion and open access to services were institutionalized, meeting NEB's criteria for formal, structural mechanisms.
Results in relation to category
"I Want to Be Useful...Recycle Me” quantitative results for 2023
- engaged 34 Municipalities in the program,
- partnered with 54 Bottle-Eater installations "adopters";
- collected 134 tons of waste, of which 42 tons of clean plastic returned for recycling,
- involved, engaged, and reached 272 283 people, and 1,189 volunteers,
- impacted 85 831 people from the communities adopting Bottle-Eaters
- reached 10 ml people with awareness and educational content.
Benefits
Communities. The installation of Bottle-Eaters in smaller municipalities that were previously overlooked and cut off from separate collection systems, including marginalized groups like Roma and Pomak communities - democratized the process and involved those communities in environmental stewardship;
Educational Institutions. For this direct audience, the benefit is dual. We supported and kickstarted a focus installation of recycling infrastructure in educational facilities and supported educators in conveying environmental lessons that lead to long-term behavioral change.
Municipalities. Many of the partnering municipalities shared that installing a Bottle-Eater led not only to improved recycling rates but also to cleaner public spaces around the installation, reducing the burden on municipal services. Additionally, the friendly inter-municipality challenges have spurred a sense of community and peer support among municipal staff. Partnering with the recycling haulers helped us facilitate new services for the smallest - 100-person settlement municipal partners. Participation in the friendly eco-challenge raised the municipal stewardship profile and visibility.
Volunteers and Activists. Our volunteers shared that being part of the program not only amplified their efforts but also provided them with a sense of community and shared purpose.
- engaged 34 Municipalities in the program,
- partnered with 54 Bottle-Eater installations "adopters";
- collected 134 tons of waste, of which 42 tons of clean plastic returned for recycling,
- involved, engaged, and reached 272 283 people, and 1,189 volunteers,
- impacted 85 831 people from the communities adopting Bottle-Eaters
- reached 10 ml people with awareness and educational content.
Benefits
Communities. The installation of Bottle-Eaters in smaller municipalities that were previously overlooked and cut off from separate collection systems, including marginalized groups like Roma and Pomak communities - democratized the process and involved those communities in environmental stewardship;
Educational Institutions. For this direct audience, the benefit is dual. We supported and kickstarted a focus installation of recycling infrastructure in educational facilities and supported educators in conveying environmental lessons that lead to long-term behavioral change.
Municipalities. Many of the partnering municipalities shared that installing a Bottle-Eater led not only to improved recycling rates but also to cleaner public spaces around the installation, reducing the burden on municipal services. Additionally, the friendly inter-municipality challenges have spurred a sense of community and peer support among municipal staff. Partnering with the recycling haulers helped us facilitate new services for the smallest - 100-person settlement municipal partners. Participation in the friendly eco-challenge raised the municipal stewardship profile and visibility.
Volunteers and Activists. Our volunteers shared that being part of the program not only amplified their efforts but also provided them with a sense of community and shared purpose.
How Citizens benefit
The whole project is based on the belief that citizen engagement is the key component to achieving long-lasting change. Thus, we never looked at citizens as just beneficiaries but they were our most desirable partners. We engaged citizens and communities through nudging campaigns, placemaking interventions, community clean-up events of water bodies and nature parks, recycling workshops, sport #withoutwaste events, waste capture, and recycling activities. These events served as platforms for information-sharing and consultation, making the information flow dynamic and co-designed. Citizens also participated in friendly competitions between municipalities, which spurred community interest in the topic of proper waste management;
Secondly, educational facilities and municipalities being the “adopters” of the bottle-eaters, thereby took ownership of the project's impact and sustainability at the local level. This empowered communities to manage key processes and even govern future actions. As a result, we saw a significant increase in citizens activation contributing to new initiatives started at the local level;
Civil society organizations like Marine Club "Friends of the Sea" and “Power Jump" from Varna”, “Halo” from Haskovo; “Spot _Ezerec" from Ezerec, Youth Club Vratsa, from Vratsa, the seniors club from Oslen led specific strands of the program, such as beach and underwater clean-ups, sporting events promoting #withoutwaste and littering prevention local campaigns, installation of recycling bins in kindergarten, mapping illegal dumps, managing local stakeholder consultations and giving feedback on local barriers and needs.
We are proud that the level of involvement of citizens and civil society entities ranged from being information recipients to active environmental stewards and this is the biggest impact we were aiming for.
Secondly, educational facilities and municipalities being the “adopters” of the bottle-eaters, thereby took ownership of the project's impact and sustainability at the local level. This empowered communities to manage key processes and even govern future actions. As a result, we saw a significant increase in citizens activation contributing to new initiatives started at the local level;
Civil society organizations like Marine Club "Friends of the Sea" and “Power Jump" from Varna”, “Halo” from Haskovo; “Spot _Ezerec" from Ezerec, Youth Club Vratsa, from Vratsa, the seniors club from Oslen led specific strands of the program, such as beach and underwater clean-ups, sporting events promoting #withoutwaste and littering prevention local campaigns, installation of recycling bins in kindergarten, mapping illegal dumps, managing local stakeholder consultations and giving feedback on local barriers and needs.
We are proud that the level of involvement of citizens and civil society entities ranged from being information recipients to active environmental stewards and this is the biggest impact we were aiming for.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
For Bulgaria the Bottle Eater installation and the comprehensive approach to community engagement for environmental stewardship are innovative elements and also what sets the "I want to be useful...recycle me" project apart from mainstream actions. How come?
- We started the project with a representative survey aiming to understand the key barriers stopping people from being more active in separate waste collection and disposal. Based on the findings we started a journey of creating a strategy for community involvement supported by an enabler (installation) that would nudge people towards the behaviors we seek. At the beginning of 2023, we acquired a patent for the engineering design of the Bottle-Eater installation and the trademark name “Bottle-Eater thus proving the innovative nature of both the brand and the installation. The Bottle-Eater installation proved to be not another utility but a true nudge where a number of municipalities and partners reported that after installing the Bottle-Eater they noticed an overall reduction of littering of the public spaces.
- Another difference is that we specifically targeted smaller settlements in Bulgaria, which are often overlooked in mainstream environmental initiatives. In Bulgaria, settlements under 10,000 people are left without or have limited recycling infrastructure. This focus makes our project not only different but exemplary in terms of how we can enable all citizens towards more sustainable actions by providing enablers for positive actions; We would say that we realized that most of the citizens are aware and what to be stewards of environment but in their localities this is simply impossible.
- We would say that the biggest difference of our program is the impact created by a project led by a civil society organization truly involving cross-sectorial partners and gaining support from communities who then turn to active proponents for litter-free and healthier environments.
- We started the project with a representative survey aiming to understand the key barriers stopping people from being more active in separate waste collection and disposal. Based on the findings we started a journey of creating a strategy for community involvement supported by an enabler (installation) that would nudge people towards the behaviors we seek. At the beginning of 2023, we acquired a patent for the engineering design of the Bottle-Eater installation and the trademark name “Bottle-Eater thus proving the innovative nature of both the brand and the installation. The Bottle-Eater installation proved to be not another utility but a true nudge where a number of municipalities and partners reported that after installing the Bottle-Eater they noticed an overall reduction of littering of the public spaces.
- Another difference is that we specifically targeted smaller settlements in Bulgaria, which are often overlooked in mainstream environmental initiatives. In Bulgaria, settlements under 10,000 people are left without or have limited recycling infrastructure. This focus makes our project not only different but exemplary in terms of how we can enable all citizens towards more sustainable actions by providing enablers for positive actions; We would say that we realized that most of the citizens are aware and what to be stewards of environment but in their localities this is simply impossible.
- We would say that the biggest difference of our program is the impact created by a project led by a civil society organization truly involving cross-sectorial partners and gaining support from communities who then turn to active proponents for litter-free and healthier environments.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
BGBA has a diverse expertise in the team. We have experienced event and project managers, social marketing, PR, public health, placemaking, and waste management expertise. Nevertheless, we also relayed the expertise of sectors such as:
- environmental studies and waste management
- Trade low
- Community engagement
- Strategic communication
- Education - where ee involved educational experts both from formal education and informal education, in crafting programs proposed to schools to help them engage and teach students of the importance of recycling.
- Technological expertise was also crucial for the data collection and measurement aspects of the project.
In addition, we also relied on the context knowledge of our local partners. Their support on the particular challenges, and how the framework of the project could be implemented helped us deliver event and intervention proposals in a way acknowledging the particularities of the places.
Through regular meetings, round tables, structural dialogs, and feedback loops we ensured that all experts could contribute to and learn from each other.
- environmental studies and waste management
- Trade low
- Community engagement
- Strategic communication
- Education - where ee involved educational experts both from formal education and informal education, in crafting programs proposed to schools to help them engage and teach students of the importance of recycling.
- Technological expertise was also crucial for the data collection and measurement aspects of the project.
In addition, we also relied on the context knowledge of our local partners. Their support on the particular challenges, and how the framework of the project could be implemented helped us deliver event and intervention proposals in a way acknowledging the particularities of the places.
Through regular meetings, round tables, structural dialogs, and feedback loops we ensured that all experts could contribute to and learn from each other.
Methodology used
For the "I Want to Be Useful...Recycle Me" project we have a multi-step, multi-expertise, data-driven approach to the project planning and implementation. We began with observations, studying how communities interact with existing waste systems, how event organizers do their events, and what people do during various types of events. We piloted initiatives, we tested approaches, we asked questions on all levels, and we also did a nationally representative survey to make sure we gathered insights from different contexts and audiences. We analyzed the data, and we identified patterns, barriers, and knowledge gaps. As a result, the design of the project was based on particular intelligence with the understanding we need to be open to iterations and changes. Collecting and analyzing data helped us with the design phase not only of the Bottle-Eaters but also the design of the activation events; Coming back to the Bottle-Eater we wanted the installations to serve as behavioral nudges, making recycling easy and attractive thus when designing them we worked with the behavior and nudging theory and approach.
Another important approach was not to work in a vacuum. Community engagement was one element of that. We organized multiple and diverse events and educational programs with our key aim for all of the involved communities to be active stakeholders, fulfilling our vision of having high citizen engagement. Another element here was striving to have strong partnerships with local governments, governmental institutions, and businesses.
As we believe in the power of data and measurement when implementing the program we set to have an ongoing measurement; At the beginning of the program, we set key performance indicators which we tracked monthly, involving also our local partners and the Bottle-Eater adopters.
Another important approach was not to work in a vacuum. Community engagement was one element of that. We organized multiple and diverse events and educational programs with our key aim for all of the involved communities to be active stakeholders, fulfilling our vision of having high citizen engagement. Another element here was striving to have strong partnerships with local governments, governmental institutions, and businesses.
As we believe in the power of data and measurement when implementing the program we set to have an ongoing measurement; At the beginning of the program, we set key performance indicators which we tracked monthly, involving also our local partners and the Bottle-Eater adopters.
How stakeholders are engaged
As mentioned at the beginning a core ask and search of our project is to leverage partnerships thus working on this strand we had:
● Partnerships with municipalities to improve collection Infrastructure - to ease the separate waste disposal for citizens in smaller settlements where such infrastructure rarely exists. (local level)
● Partnerships with recycling haulers (local and regional level) to ensure:
a) measuring the effectiveness of the campaign messages by measuring the difference in the collected recyclables from one period to another;
b) supporting the regular clean-up of the new collection installations;
● Partnership with large event organizers to guide them in the organization of events #withoutwaste, and support the collection of clean packaging during events; (local and regional levels)
On the national level, we partnered with the National Association of Bulgarian Municipalities, the Bulgarian Recovery and Recycling Association, and the National Association of Soft Drinks Producers. They endorsed the project's campaigns and amplified its messages, providing a platform for broader reach and impact. Both national associations also supported us by engaging their own members for
- entering the municipal challenges
- providing a medium to transfer capacity-building messages
- activating members situated in different regions of the country.
Again on the national level, we partnered with Bulgarian National Television, Darik Radio, and BTV media group where the media partners allowed us air time through which we amplified the reach of our nudging and awareness messages and calls to action. The program has a reach of 10 ml people as per the independent media monitoring report from 10.10.2023.
● Partnerships with municipalities to improve collection Infrastructure - to ease the separate waste disposal for citizens in smaller settlements where such infrastructure rarely exists. (local level)
● Partnerships with recycling haulers (local and regional level) to ensure:
a) measuring the effectiveness of the campaign messages by measuring the difference in the collected recyclables from one period to another;
b) supporting the regular clean-up of the new collection installations;
● Partnership with large event organizers to guide them in the organization of events #withoutwaste, and support the collection of clean packaging during events; (local and regional levels)
On the national level, we partnered with the National Association of Bulgarian Municipalities, the Bulgarian Recovery and Recycling Association, and the National Association of Soft Drinks Producers. They endorsed the project's campaigns and amplified its messages, providing a platform for broader reach and impact. Both national associations also supported us by engaging their own members for
- entering the municipal challenges
- providing a medium to transfer capacity-building messages
- activating members situated in different regions of the country.
Again on the national level, we partnered with Bulgarian National Television, Darik Radio, and BTV media group where the media partners allowed us air time through which we amplified the reach of our nudging and awareness messages and calls to action. The program has a reach of 10 ml people as per the independent media monitoring report from 10.10.2023.
Global challenges
I want to be useful...recycle me addresses several global challenges.
- By enhancing recycling plastic waste infrastructure and promoting recycling in smaller Bulgarian settlements, the program directly tackles the issue of single-use plastic pollution, a problem with global ramifications for ecosystems and biodiversity. Additionally, the project supports Bulgaria's moving closer to meeting European Union directives and goals in tackling municipal waste and packaging waste.
- The initiative also addresses the challenge of civic engagement in environmental stewardship. Through its participatory approach, it empowers local communities to take an active role in preventing waste leakage in the environment, thereby fostering a culture of environmental responsibility that can be replicated globally.
- The advocacy work, executed within the program's activities aims to influence policy, demonstrating how localized actions can contribute to broader systemic change. The patented Bottle-eater installations, being tested for broader applicability in the Sport #WithoutWaste project, offer a scalable solution to stopping plastic leakage in the environment beyond Bulgaria (currently we have pilot initiatives in Serbia, Albania, Turkey, Romania, and Hungary)
As we maintain and scale the program every year, and while "I want to be useful recycle me" operates on a local scale, its strategies for stopping waste leakage in the environment, community engagement, and policy advocacy offer adaptable solutions to global challenges in similar to Bulgaria contexts and communities;
- By enhancing recycling plastic waste infrastructure and promoting recycling in smaller Bulgarian settlements, the program directly tackles the issue of single-use plastic pollution, a problem with global ramifications for ecosystems and biodiversity. Additionally, the project supports Bulgaria's moving closer to meeting European Union directives and goals in tackling municipal waste and packaging waste.
- The initiative also addresses the challenge of civic engagement in environmental stewardship. Through its participatory approach, it empowers local communities to take an active role in preventing waste leakage in the environment, thereby fostering a culture of environmental responsibility that can be replicated globally.
- The advocacy work, executed within the program's activities aims to influence policy, demonstrating how localized actions can contribute to broader systemic change. The patented Bottle-eater installations, being tested for broader applicability in the Sport #WithoutWaste project, offer a scalable solution to stopping plastic leakage in the environment beyond Bulgaria (currently we have pilot initiatives in Serbia, Albania, Turkey, Romania, and Hungary)
As we maintain and scale the program every year, and while "I want to be useful recycle me" operates on a local scale, its strategies for stopping waste leakage in the environment, community engagement, and policy advocacy offer adaptable solutions to global challenges in similar to Bulgaria contexts and communities;
Learning transferred to other parties
Since its inception in 2019, the program has been transferred from one city to more than 100 locations in Bulgaria. Thus, we can claim that "I Want to Be Useful...Recycle Me" has a high applicability and scalability potential and can be used for promoting environmental stewardship, circular economy, and preventing waste leakage in the environment in various settings. The project elements that could be replicated are:
- The #WithoutWaste Framework for events and community engagement. The framework is currently used in two other projects the European Sport #WithoutWaste, and European School Sport Day;
- The patented Bottle-eater installations with 3 sizes, are cost-effective, easy to transport, install, and service thus making the Bottle-eater also transferable.
- The multi-stakeholder partnership model involving municipalities, NGOs, and the private sector can be replicated and transferred and can serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives elsewhere.
- The advocacy strategies, employing both top-down and bottom-up approaches, can be applied in various legislative environments.
-BGBA's data-driven approach, using specific metrics and KPIs, offers a framework for performance evaluation that can be adopted by other projects.
- The project also leveraged public and private sector support in the form of in-kind services, providing a model for resource mobilization.
I want to be useful...recycle me's iterative approach to learning and adaptation makes it a valuable model and offers a package that can be transferred to other countries and contexts.
- The #WithoutWaste Framework for events and community engagement. The framework is currently used in two other projects the European Sport #WithoutWaste, and European School Sport Day;
- The patented Bottle-eater installations with 3 sizes, are cost-effective, easy to transport, install, and service thus making the Bottle-eater also transferable.
- The multi-stakeholder partnership model involving municipalities, NGOs, and the private sector can be replicated and transferred and can serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives elsewhere.
- The advocacy strategies, employing both top-down and bottom-up approaches, can be applied in various legislative environments.
-BGBA's data-driven approach, using specific metrics and KPIs, offers a framework for performance evaluation that can be adopted by other projects.
- The project also leveraged public and private sector support in the form of in-kind services, providing a model for resource mobilization.
I want to be useful...recycle me's iterative approach to learning and adaptation makes it a valuable model and offers a package that can be transferred to other countries and contexts.
Keywords
Cross-sector partnerships
Community engagement
Environmental stewardship
Preventing plastic waste leakage in the environment
Sustainability and Circular Economy
