“Green belt” launches the Vistavia Electrical Equipment Waste Collection Competition in Educational Institutions
In developing the tradition of collecting secondary raw materials in Latvian educational institutions over the years, the “green belt” comes up in this school year with a new waste collection competition for electrical and electronic equipment – “clean Latvia!”. Within the framework of the competition, the secondary processing of educational institutions will collect or unfit electrical and electronic household appliances.
The aim of the competition is to promote pupils' awareness of the harmful effects of electrical equipment on the environment and to combine children's forces in order to reduce environmental pollution by hazardous waste. In order to achieve this goal, the “green belt” competition is organised in close cooperation with THE “BAO” and the national education content centre, encouraging the widest possible participation of the public in the collection of electrical equipment.
Latvian pre-schools, general, professional, interest and higher education institutions are invited to participate in the competition. In order to apply for participation in the competition, the educational institution must register on the “green belt” website www.zalajosta.lv in the form of an electronic application form set up. The educational institutions that will register their participation in the competition by 30 November will be able to transfer the collected electrical equipment twice. The removal of electrical equipment for other schools will be organised once at the end of the competition.
The new competition has already gained a large range of supporters, with educational institutions having the opportunity to compete both for valuable prizes and to collect points and exchange gifts.
In collaboration with supporters of the competition (Ventspils Creative House planetary, Kurzeme Democentrs, Ventspils adventure park, SIA “Skraver sweets” and SIA “Pūres“ chocolate museum ”“), three participants in the competition who have collected the most used electrical equipment will receive special prizes. In the main prize, the excursion “one day in Ventspils”; while the promotion prizes will be a chance to go to the excursion and actively operate in “Skraver sweets” or “Pūres“ chocolate museum ”and other partner companies.
But special gifts can be earned by every participant in the competition. Each of the 10 kg of electrical equipment collected shall receive 1 point. At the end of the competition, it will be possible to exchange these points against selected prizes from the wide range of tender promoters – gift cards, visits to science centres, exciting excursions and creative workshops.
All end-of-life electrical equipment collected during the competition will be delivered TO THE “BAO” plant in the processing shop by separating the components suitable for processing and safely disposing of the harmful substances. Further parts of the electrical equipment used for processing will come into the respective refineries where valuable secondary raw materials are obtained – metals, plastics, rubber, glass etc.
For reference
Electrical and electronic equipment which has completed its activities, broken or no longer used, becomes hazardous waste due to the harmful substances and chemical compounds contained therein. When the environment is affected, the body of the electrical equipment begins to be fermented and the humidity falls inside the equipment, encouraging its corrosion, oxidation of the chemical elements contained in the composition, the release of dangerous substances into the air and soil. Particularly environmentally dangerous is the release of freone in the atmosphere which contributes to the degradation of the ozone layer. Hazardous substances used in the composition of misused electrical equipment are likely to cause serious damage to human and animal health. It is therefore important to ensure that electrical equipment is collected and disposed of for recycling at the end of the operation.
Tender support
Kurzeme Democentrs, Ventspils Creative House planetary, Ventspils adventure park, SIA “Skraver sweets”, SIA “Pūres“ chocolate museum ”“, scientist centre “blue miracles”, children's science centre “Z (in) Oo”; inquiry AT UN experiment centre “Lielwords”, children's science centre “Tehnoannas cellar”, “Latvian State Forests” and Mammadaba, Riga zoo, Riga zoo branch “concerts”, Latvian nature museum, Aglona bakery museum, museum “Minhauzen world”, LATVIAN Nature Museum, SIA “star ABC”, SIA “bears”, SIA “star ABC”, SIA “bears”, SIA “star ABC”, SIA “bears”, SIA “star ABC”, SIA “bears”, SIA “star ABC”, “thinker”, “Muzle.LV”, etc.
Information supporters: Magazine “syrup” and EKO media for “clean Latvia!”
More information:
Ilze Liepa-Balode, Director of the “green belt” projects
Tel. 67808112, e-mail konkurss@zalajosta.lv