Second chance
conversion-reuse
Second chance
As one of the most polluted countries in the region, and even more so, the question arises as to how we could influence the improvement of the quality of air, soil and drinking water, or simply put, the preservation of the environment.
More and more often we are witnessing the creation of wild landfills on fertile soil, so instead of collecting ecologically produced food, we have to collect the waste that we ourselves have created and with that we have made the lands polluted and infertile, we have polluted the water in the environment, and by causing fire and the air we breathe.
The goal of this project is to reduce the generated waste through its collection, repair and reuse. The Second Chance project refers to the reuse and repurposing of waste generated by both physical and legal entities. Not always the waste is really not for use. Every piece of waste for someone is a useful piece for use, be it because of the economic situation or simply because of the well-developed environmental awareness among individuals or legal entities in society.
old things
What is conversion?
Repurposing is the process of changing the original purpose of the product or so-called waste. Small physical changes can be made to the specific object, for the purpose of using it for another purpose and purpose. With these small changes, the object does not change its chemical composition, does not suffer major mechanical changes, does not show a change in its previous state. The subject is the same, but the difference is in the need for which it is intended for production, for example:
Using the glass jars for winter storage as candle holders, Using old newspapers as decorative solutions, Saving children’s clothes for younger brothers and sisters, Converting the box from the old TV set into a shoe storage cabinet, etc.
What is reuse?
Reuse or re-use means that the product with minor corrections can be used for the same purpose for which it was produced. As we witness the rapid growth of electronic and electrical technology, as well as ready-made fashion, we are increasingly witnessing the creation of excess objects in our homes that can be used flawlessly, but with the very reduction of living space in our homes, these objects despite the fact that they are correct and not damaged bothers us and they are a kind of waste for us. These products and how they can serve another family. So reuse is the use of the product for the same purpose for which it was produced.
This project will cover all citizens of Macedonia who will voluntarily give us their electrical, electronic, textile and bulky waste, as well as jewelry, books and everything that for them is waste (excluding municipal waste) as donors of products from one side and ZG NAJDI NAČIN on the other side, as collectors, reparators and repurposers of the generated waste with the aim of creating a green product and a green economy.
The goal of the project is to expand the already developed awareness among the population about the use, reuse and conversion of waste, i.e. for its reuse at the regional level. It is planned to establish 8 regional centers for the reuse of waste, namely Skopje (Gazi Baba), Vardarski (Kavadarci), East (Macedonska Kamenica), South-East (Strumica), Pelagoniski (Prilep), Poloski (Gostivar), North-East (Kriva) Palanka) and Southwest Region (Ohrid). One new recycling center will be opened every year, and the first one will be in the Skopje region, as the largest in terms of population and generated waste.
The project will be placed in the conditions for the establishment and operation of the reuse centers, which in turn will enable the employment of a target group of unemployed single parents/guardians of children with special needs in the newly created green workplaces. Various practical and motivational workshops for repair and conversion of the collected waste will be conducted in the centers..
The research shows that each individual creates at least 5 kilograms of useful waste, which has so far ended up in illegal landfills, namely:
Textile waste
Electrical and electronic waste
Dimensional waste
Recycling centers are intended for collection, restoration (repair), dismantling and preparation of still useful products for reuse.
The post-use centers will have an open door for all those who want to bring useful products, but also for all those who want to buy recycled products at a symbolic price. We will name the symbolic price as the GREEN PRICE, which in turn will show the real values for environmental protection, and increasing awareness among the population for the preservation of natural resources such as raw materials, water, energy and emissions that are needed to obtain a new product.
By throwing away useful products, we throw away raw materials, waste energy, water and the emission of harmful particles that are created by the production of new products that would further pollute the environment. Within this project, emphasis will also be given to old trades, such as mending new but torn clothes, beekeeping with shoe repair, jewelry repair, furniture repair, repair of electrical and electronic devices, but emphasis will also be placed on of reading with the help of donated books, available to everyone at a green price.
With this project, equal opportunities will be created on the labor market and social inclusion will be strengthened, new jobs will be created in the field of waste management and environmental protection, and useful products will have a longer life span, so instead of too quickly end up in a landfill, they will be able to be reused both in the homes of socially vulnerable categories of the population, as well as among the population with a highly developed environmental awareness. Waste is not only a problem, it is also a challenge for us.
As a positive side of this initiative, it is possible to use waste as a resource, to buy products for reuse at symbolic (green) prices, to provide basic household products to people with low incomes, which in turn will contribute to reducing poverty in this type of population, and at the same time to open new jobs in the field of reuse and conversion of useful waste.
Environmental protection: prevention of waste generation and sustainable management of generated waste.
Social equality: social activities such as the integration of the vulnerable category of labor market workers and access to products at favorable (green) prices.
Economic justification: the possibility of creating new jobs and the possibility of training and retraining with old and new trades.