June 15, 2009
Ecopack Bulgaria, a not-for-profit company established in 2004, has donated 2,000 plastic, domestic-use containers in the cities of Shumen and Varna to encourage separate waste collection.
Older Bulgarians might recall stations formerly used for collecting paper and glass. The aim of introducing containers of various colours is to introduce a culture of separate waste collection to those unfamiliar or forgetful of the practice.
Not that this will be anything easy to accomplish.
"It looks like we aren't culturally ready for this," said Boryana Docheva, a citizen. "We Bulgarians throw away everything at the nearest available spot, wherever it's most comfortable, and without even thinking about it."
Miroslava Doncheva, an Ecopack employee shared her thoughts on the approach taken toward awareness raising: "Many young people suggested that it would be best to distribute the collection containers directly to households. What they were saying is that it's a lot easier and faster to separate waste at home, and easier to keep the habit of doing so."
Details from original Bulgarian-language articles (click here and here) transcribed by Monika Arnaudova.
