Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 4 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 4(2023)

In 2019, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kaliningrad region sought the assistance of The Green Cause project in organizing the collection of recyclable materials through dedicated containers. The initial installation of 60 collection sites took place at the end of 2019, enabling the depositing of paper, plastic bottles, and metal. In 2020 and 2021, The Green Cause won a regional competition to maintain and oversee these collection points. Subsequently, an additional 30 containers were installed, featuring a dedicated section for glass recycling, and then another 71. Presently, Kaliningrad boasts 161 separate waste collection sites. Given the increased volume of recyclable materials, the regional waste management operator, the “Unified Waste Management System” State Enterprise of Kaliningrad Region, took on the responsibility of maintaining these containers. Oleg Paukov, The Green Cause founder, was invited to spearhead the development of a comprehensive regional waste separation initiative. The Green Cause continues its mission under the leadership of the project’s new head, Alexandra Tsirulnikova, still accepting requests from residents and offices in Kaliningrad and surrounding areas for the removal of recyclable materials. The project also remains committed to its environmental education efforts.

Project founder Oleg Paukov is proud to note that Kaliningrad has become the pioneering Russian city to establish separate waste collection for three distinct types of raw materials: PET, metal, and paper/cardboard. That’s three different containers, unlike the standard two found in other cities.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Collecting recyclable materials from the public to be resold to processors and major buyers.

PROJECT IMPACT

According to its founder, The Green Cause project has encouraged the residents of Kaliningrad to actively participate in waste separation, marking a significant departure from the earlier limited volunteer efforts. As of the end of 2021, approximately 78,000 people in the Kaliningrad region are actively engaged in separate waste collection — a statistic disclosed by Governor Anton Alikhanov via his social media channels.

The Green Cause project has also played a pivotal role in promoting a culture of waste separation among the local populace. Through its initiatives, it has popularized the practice of waste sorting and recycling within the community. The project author’s observations indicate a noticeable reduction in the average contamination levels of recyclables in the dedicated collection containers. Up to 80 % of the container content was contaminated at the project’s inception. Within a few years, this number has dropped to a commendable 20 %. This shift underscores the increasing awareness of the public regarding the infrastructure for environmentally-friendly waste disposal. It is also proof of substantial environmental education efforts that include lectures, workshops, social advertising campaigns, debunking of myths, and press publications undertaken by The Green Cause and other environmental projects in Kaliningrad.

Probably the best illustration of the project’s impact happened in 2020, when The Green Cause was experiencing financial issues. Oleg Paukov then publicly shared his challenges in his social media accounts, which resulted in an overwhelming response from the residents and sparked public interest. As a result, Oleg received a call from the governor’s office and was invited to a meeting to discuss potential solutions.

Atmosphere Center

A Club for Engineering and Technical Creativity and a Space for Creators.

https://clck.ru/37jdMC

The Atmosphere Center brings together multiple educational spaces, designed to facilitate joint intellectual growth for both adults and children, including those with unique developmental needs. It also serves as a platform for the exchange of experiences among social entrepreneurs.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

The village of Muromskoye in the Zelenogradsk District lies 24 kilometers from Kaliningrad and 9 kilometers from the Baltic Sea. Prior to 1946, it bore the name Laptau, which translates to “a place teeming with foxes.” Once an expanse under the ownership of the Teutonic Order, this territory housed the stone Laptau Castle, with a German Lutheran church erected in the vicinity. During the 19th century, a parochial school operated within the village, replaced by an elementary school in Soviet times.