The GMI project of the ASCAME’s network starts a pilot project in the Mediterranean for the return of packaging.
Students of 3 universities recycle more than 15.000 packagings in two months
For two months, students of 3 universities of Barcelona have had the opportunity of using the GMI project’s return packaging machines installed in different spaces of these universities. Also, they have participated in diverse monthly prizes with the accumulation of points.
This pilot project has been implemented thanks to the European project GMI, managed by ASCAME network’s members in coordination with the General Secretariat. The project’s area of action includes not only Spain but also other countries of the zone of the Mediterranean such as Egypt, Italy, Lebanon and Tunisia.
In Spain the machines have been located by ASCAME, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and FUNDITEC, in coordination with the Chamber of Trade, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, as leaders of the project. Their activity has been supported by the Fundació per a la Prevenció de Residus i el Consum Responsable (Retorna), a non-governmental organization specialized in the awareness of recycling.
In Catalonia, the pilot project has been implemented thanks to the support of the 3 universities where 16 machines have been installed: 1 in the High school of Design and Engineering of Barcelona (ELISAVA), 7 in the University of Barcelona (UB) and 8 in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).
To date, a total of 6 prizes have been awarded in May and June in order to stimulate the students’ participation.
In this occasion, on 10th July winners received a diploma in acknowledgement of their contribution, together with a music festival voucher for two persons.
A total of more than 15.000 packagings have been recycled with the participation of 7960 students of the 3 universities involved.
Under the slogan: There is no Planet B. Recycle!, students are encouraged to reduce ecological impact whereas favouring the return of one use drink packaging in their universities.
The GMI project is financed by the European program ENPI CBC MED Cross-Border Cooperation in the Mediterranean, whose aim is of developing integrated systems for recycling and the environment improvement, to assure the recycling and treatment of the residues across innovative technologies and methods of sustainability.
The project is an initiative not only to encourage young people to be responsible with the environment, to have first-hand experiences with environmental companies.
ASCAME has the main objective of promoting the cooperation between the North and South of the Mediterranean, the regional integration, especially across the consolidation of the SMEs, promoting strategic axes as the green economy in the region.
For more information, visit the webpage www.gmiproject.eu