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Description
In order to increase the application of circular economy principles in the recycling market, the projects aims to create deposit refund systems for beverage bottles and cans. The goal of the project is to contribute to the selective collection of waste from plastic beverage packaging and non-reusable cans, aiming to achieve a direct positive impact on collection rates, the quality of the material collected and the quality of recycled materials, creating opportunities for the recycling sector and the recycled materials market. This project intends to design, implement and test, through a pilot project, the future system of incentives for return in the sector of packaging of plastic drinks and cans, not reusable in a low density territory, located in the Municipality of Vila Real. The activities consist of installing reverse vending machines in the main retail stores in the municipality of Vila Real, for the collection of plastic beverage packaging and non-reusable cans, in order to guarantee a long-term solution for recycling. It is also considered to implement structures for the collection of gum and cigarette butts whose final destination is recycling and with this material to produce new materials, such as e-bricks, install a playground built entirely with recycled material in order to promote the circular economy associated with packaging and beverage cans and involve civil society in the collection of waste deposited along the urban section of the Corgo River.
Summary of project results
Knowing that plastic plays a role in our daily lives and that the offer does not always allow us to refuse it, the Municipality of Vila Real, in full awareness that that waste has a potential for circularity that can and should be explored, applied, in the project “No packaging for Marão!”, specific actions aimed at reducing consumption and recycling, as well as activities that lead consumers to rethink their habits. This project was designed to promote the Circular Economy in the plastic beverage packaging and cans sector based on the 5 R''s policy - rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse.
The main results of the project can be described as following:
1. Recycling: This action is the cornerstone of the project and is about the Recycling. By installing reverse vending machines in the main retail stores in the municipality of Vila Real, to collect plastic beverage packaging and non-reusable cans, in order to ensure that they are sent for recycling, the aim was to encourage those who still do not separate waste and, on the other hand, recognize those who already do so by assigning a value per item delivered to the machine, which can be discounted at partner retail stores in the Municipality of Vila Real;
2. Reduce: this action focuses on reduction and is dedicated to reducing the production of waste from plastic packaging and cans. To this end, drinking fountains were installed in municipal buildings and equipment and in school clusters, in order to make public water available and thus drastically reduce the production of bottle waste. Each drinking fountain was associated with a measuring system (Smart meter) to count the amount of water supplied by each equipment, serving as a real and measurable indicator of the reduction of packaging waste;
3. Reuse: In the action about the reuse a playground was installed entirely with recycled material in order to promote the circular economy associated with beverage packaging and cans. A very central location in the city of Vila Real was chosen and signs were placed explaining that this is not just any playground. It is proof that good environmental habits revert to the entire population;
4. Rethink: Regarding the fourth action, , the population is called upon to rethink their day-to-day habits and reflect on their contribution to the planet''s ecological footprint. Actions to involve civil society were promoted in various ways: exhibitions, debates, concerts, art workshops;
5. Decline: In the fifth action includes initiatives aimed at schools with the aim of awakening the student public to this problem, namely by creating conditions for the municipality''s schools to work on this topic in citizenship classes. The intention was to challenge each school to contribute to the development of a code of conduct, encouraging greater application of Circular Economy principles.
The project has presented several physical results. The main beneficiares of this results was the population of Vila Real Municipality. In respect this positive results, we can mention the following:
- Acquisition of 5 machines for the selective collection of plastic beverage packaging and cans;
- Selective collection of 46.36 tons of non-reusable plastic beverage packaging and cans;
- Creation of a textile point in order to encourage reuse and increase the circularity of the fibers;
- Acquisition of 50 ashtrays for the collection of Eco-tips to create scale in obtaining waste to be sent for recycling and consequently resolve a negative externality associated with these materials;
- Acquisition of 7 ecotips and chewing gum structures;
- Acquisition of 26 inclusive and bottled drinking fountains;
- Lastly, development of numerous awareness campaigns for the project, bringing visibility to funding entities