Innovations in waste management in Armenia: smart trash can, automation in paper recycling and tiles made from recycled plastic
As landfills fill up and ecosystems suffer, new recycling technologies are emerging that offer a glimmer of hope in the fight against waste pollution. They not only address a growing environmental problem, but also provide opportunities to conserve resources, reduce environmental impact and create a circular economy.
“Smart” trash can
Sorting tanks. Photo: ISSD
The idea of the public organization “Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Community Development” (ISSD) to install sorting tanks on the territory of the Areni Wine Festival was quite unusual in 2017.
“There are many polluted places in Armenia: rivers, lakes. Where there is a hole, there are heaps of garbage. Our goal was to reduce human impact on the environment and develop a circular economy in the country,” says ISSD co-founder and president Mkhitar Avetisyan. He admits how at first he had to overcome the resistance of people who said “this is not for Armenians.”
The organization specializes in installing sorting containers and has so far equipped 400 offices and 200 schools with them. Once a week, employees pick up sorted waste from there and take it to their own processing workshop. Ballpoint pens and rulers are produced there from the collected raw materials. The organization donates some of them to schools, and sells some.
Mkhitar Avetisyan. Photo: ISSD
Sorting containers are installed in 400 offices and 200 schools. Photo: ISSD
“We understood one thing: in order for garbage recycling to work in Armenia, there must be innovative solutions, otherwise it will be very difficult to retrain people,” says Hayk Kazarian, former co-head of the SmartApaga company. He is convinced that Armenians should be encouraged to sort garbage.
Hayk Kazarian. Photo: SmartApaga
Hayk gives the example of the technology of a “smart” trash can with a capacity of 30 liters, which allows you to find out who throws out garbage, what quality of waste it is, and gives the person points. Having collected a certain number, a citizen can receive, for example, free yoga classes or discounts on trips to nature.
“Smart” trash can. Photo: SmartApaga
The smart trash can has accurate automatic full detection using ultrasonic technology, Wi-Fi, unique QR codes and image recognition features, waste quality, weight-based gamification for recycling communities and individuals, simple or touch LCD display for tracking statistics and for gaming purposes, as well as USB ports that can be used for fast charging.
The first smart trash can in Erevan, 2019. Photo: SmartApaga
However, this ambitious project is a thing of the past. The company abandoned it after an unsuccessful experience, when an expensive device installed in Yerevan was filled with a prohibited substance by a local resident. Repairing the installation was impractical.
Tapon.am Application for waste paper collection
The application helps people collect and deliver waste paper. Photo: Tapon.am
In 2020, another startup appeared in the field of digital technologies in waste management — Tapon.am. This is an application that helps people collect and deliver waste paper. It was created by the Grand Master company, which produces corrugated packaging. It took into account the fact that about 58,000 tons of paper appear in Armenian landfills every year.
A truck will drive up to home and pick up the waste paper. Photo: Tapon.am
The user is asked to download the application, register and inform the operators about the accumulated paper waste. A Tapon.am truck will drive up to your home and pick up the waste paper, awarding TapPoint points for each kilogram. At the same time, the startup regularly publishes a list of socially beneficial programs aimed at solving environmental problems. Subscribers get the opportunity to vote for one of them. The one with the most votes soon becomes a reality.
Startup spreads the culture of waste sorting and recycling in various educational institutions. Photo: Tapon.am
In addition, Tapon.am implements educational programs in various educational institutions, helping to spread the culture of waste sorting and recycling among students and others. Today in Armenia there is great interest in this topic.
Photo: Tapon.am
A project worthy of revival
But if you rewind, the Urban Foundation, founded on April 28, 2004, was the first to install waste sorting containers in Armenia. Samvel Nazaryan, co-author of the foundation’s programs, proudly talks about past successes.
The Urban Foundation proposed to product from polymer-sand composites, where the main material is high- and
low-density polyethylene. Photo by the organization
In 2010, Urban employees saw how polluted the territories were with plastic waste on business trips to the regions of Armenia. A decision was found: to install garbage separation tanks in the city of Alaverdi, Lori Province. Initially they were intended only for PET bottles. At that time, only 18 garbage cans were installed. Today the number of cans installed by the Urban Foundation alone, reaches 1000 in different communities of Armenia.
The technology was “tested” at a plant in the city of Kapan, Syunik Province. Photo by the Urban Foundation
Residents of Alaverdi took the matter seriously, collecting raw materials from commercial and industrial facilities and food packaging from stores for processing. So soon, thanks to the UN Development Program, the number of containers increased. But what to do with separately collected plastic waste? In 2010, a facility for processing PET bottles operated in Yerevan. The city foundation went further and proposed an innovation — a technology for manufacturing products from polymer-sand composites, where the main material is high- and low-density polyethylene. It was “tested” at a plant in the city of Kapan, Syunik Province.
Plastic was mixed with sand and colored powder and obtained the building materials. Photo by the Urban Foundation
By mixing plastic with sand and colored powder, technologists obtained the building materials necessary for the Kapan community. These are mainly slabs and tiles that are used for roofing at bus stops, pavilions built in gardens, recreation areas, etc.
Polyethylene makes up only 25% of the final product, the rest is sand (74%) and color pigment (1%). The product has high technical characteristics and is even stronger than conventional tiles, but at the same time, thanks to the available production raw materials, it is much cheaper than the classic options.
Polyethylene makes up only 25% of the final product, the rest is sand (74%) and color pigment (1%). The product has high technical characteristics and is even stronger than conventional tiles, but at the same time, thanks to the available production raw materials, it is much cheaper than the classic options.
The products has high technical characteristics. Photo by the Urban Foundation
The project started in 2017 and was completed in 2019. It was supported by the Armenian office of the European Commission. According to Samvel Nazaryan, you can always return to previous developments if there is funding. And it turns out that the municipalities of Vanadzor and Gyumri became interested in this technology. They want to implement similar projects in the northern part of the country.