Nordplus project "Hazardous waste"
Batteries, accumulators, paints, oils, medicine – all of them have someting common: they contain materials that require special treatment and, after they have turned into waste, they cannot be thrown out with other household waste. Hazardous waste requires proper sorting and treatment. Given that many people in Latvia are lacking knowledge about hazardous waste: what is hazardous waste? Why are they dangerous? Where and how is it possible to sort them? Where such waste is collected?, „Ideja” decided to join a project that was developed by „SYKLI” Environmental School of Finland and together with companies „RecSer Oy” and „AkkuSer Oy” from Finland and „Tartu Environmental Education Centre” from Estonia submitted the application under „Nordplus” funding. Project “Web Based Training Module on the Environmental Effects and Handling of Hazardous Waste” was approved and since September all of us have seriously worked on this project.
On Oct 6 and 7 first project meeting has held in Helsinki. It was also the first time when we all met face to face. During the meeting, partners presented their organizaions, discussed project content, expected outcomes, budget issues and made tasks to be implemented after the meeting. On second day, partners traveled to Nivala “AkkuSer” office is located and were introduced to unique (and patented) dry technology for battery and accumulator recycling, which allows to use nearly 100 % of the recycled material.
Next meetings are planned in Riga and Tartu. Partners will regulary meet via Skype in order to keep everyone updated.
At the moment each partner is researching hazardous waste handling in his country and general public level of knowledge about hazardous waste in order to understand that kind of material would be the most suitable.
The main aim of the project is to produce a web-based training package on the environmental impacts of
hazardous waste, specially batteries and accumulators. Project will end in spring 2013.