Initiative: Agency for Economic Development
Location: Voznesensk, Mykolaiv region
Year: 2018

Website: http://www.aer.net.ua/

This active youth group cooperating within the Agency for Economic Development has long been involved in tackling environmental issues in the city of Voznesensk, including the collection of used batteries in schools, shops and other public places. However, the factory processing these flat batteries has ceased to function and there is no replacement for it on the market yet. The initiative had bags of collected used batteries piled up in a yard and nowhere to recycle them.

Through a civic campaign, therefore, the initiative persuaded the city to provide premises for the storage of this toxic waste. It is now temporarily stored in those premises until the recycling can be systematically resolved. The campaign also focused on improvements to the city's used battery collection system and greater involvement of the public, from the schools to local housing associations to local entrepreneurs. Two years after the end of the campaign, there are 15 used battery collection sites in the city and approximately two tons of used batteries in storage. This amount of toxic waste would otherwise have ended up as landfill.