Student-led Waste Circularity program in Dilijan aims for regional outreach

Waste Circularity is a student-led project sponsored by UWC Dilijan, aimed at implementing waste separation and recycling techniques in schools and public streets in Dilijan, Armenia, where there are significant waste management and littering problems. The project was founded last November by Chau Pham, a UWC Dilijan first-year student from Vietnam.

Upon arriving in Armenia for her studies, Chau was surprised to see that there are many trash cans in Dilijan, yet none of them are for recycling. As a member of the Sustainability Committee at school, she initiated a field trip to the Haghartsin landfill near Dilijan. There, she saw a significant amount of waste, including recyclable trash like plastic bottles, all mixed together to be incinerated. This not only causes significant greenhouse gas emissions, but also wastes a lot of energy and therefore financial resources. Thus, Chau, as an avid environmental activist who has led many sustainability projects in Vietnam, was determined to initiate a project to promote a culture of sustainable waste management in Dilijan.

In March, the project installed 5 plastic recycling trash bins and signposts on littering throughout Dilijan, where there was previously none. Additionally, students in the project also collected paper and plastic waste from local community centers and schools. 

When Chau sent a message to the local Dilijan community announcing the installation of the bins, she received a lot of support and encouragement. One person replied, saying, “Чау, спасибо большое за такие инициативы. Уверена, многие готовы поддержать это доброе дело!” (Translation: “Chau, thank you very much for such initiatives. I am sure many are ready to support this good cause!”). Another responded, “Это прекрасная новость, я очень рада!” (“This is great news, I am very happy!”). Beyond positive reactions, locals also expressed their willingness to engage with the project, with another local commenting “Thank you so much for this initiative! It is wonderful! I've already prepared several packages of bottles and will take them to the container.” In fact, within just one week after installation, one bin was already full with plastic bottles! 

Every 2 weeks, students from UWCD go to collect the plastic bottles for recycling, either internally at school, through Armenian recycling companies like ISSD, or through the local government’s recycling facility. In the long run, Chau hopes to expand the project to recycle other waste as well. 

Aside from infrastructural development, the project organized public training sessions on promoting waste sorting and recycling culture with student participants from various provinces in Armenia. Expert speakers, such as Irina Mkrtchyan from ISSD NGO, were also invited to speak to the students. 

The first training session took place on March 17 and 18. More than 20 student leaders from various universities and secondary schools in Armenia came to UWC Dilijan for a training session on waste separation and sustainable waste management. There, participants engaged in open discussions to co-develop student-led waste solutions tailored to each school’s needs, as well as collaboratively draft the first Youth Action Roadmap for Sustainable Waste Management in Armenia which outlines strategies for student leaders to promote waste separation and recycling in their respective communities.

Furthermore, project members also surveyed locals in Dilijan on the cause of river littering in the Aghstev river to develop more data-driven, long-term solutions. Based on the survey results, Chau and her team will expand on the project and engage with river littering issues as well.  

For the next step, Chau and other project members are planning to make a documentary on the journey of recycled waste from waste sorting to factory recycling, in collaboration with the Dilijani authorities and Armenian recycling companies. In the long run, Chau plans to scale up the project to other provinces and to include various waste types. She hopes to receive support from locals, companies, and the government in implementing this ambitious project, as sustainable waste management requires commitment and collaboration from all stakeholders.