A new report by "EcoLur" Informational NGO analyzes the Yerevan master plan adopted in 2024 in terms of its alignment with the targets of Yerevan city's Green City Action Plan. The report has been published on EcoLur's website. This publication will address issues in the waste sector.
The vision of Yerevan's "Green City Action Plan" (GCAP) foresees the implementation of a modern integrated waste management system by 2030, which will be guided by international standards to ensure an economically efficient system in the capital. It is noted that Yerevan will become attractive to companies that apply cutting-edge waste management technologies, as well as related service sectors. According to the strategic objectives of the "Green City Action Plan," 100% of urban solid waste and other waste will be placed in proper waste management or processing facilities and managed in compliance with EU standards by 2030. Additionally, over 99% of waste producers will pay the required fees for waste collection and disposal. The plan also envisions that the integrated sorting and recycling system will return revenues to the urban solid waste management system. Annually, this will account for more than 20%.
In the section of the Yerevan master plan titled "Improvement directions for the environmental condition," the main issue for improving the environment has been chosen as "household waste management and the isolation of Nubarashen landfill site." The master plan mentions that the isolation and closure of Nubarashen landfill site is one of the optimal solutions for improving the current situation in the landfill site and in terms of neutralization. It is viewed in the context of a comprehensive waste management program that will include the construction of a new sanitary landfill, waste sorting, and recycling. There are no further observations in the master plan related to other strategic goals of the "Green City Action Plan."
According to EcoLur, the timeline for constructing the new sanitary landfill and the reclamation of Nubarashen landfill site remains unclear. This issue was one of the short-term measures of the Yerevan Green City Action Plan and was supposed to be implemented between 2018-2022, but it has not yet been done. Yerevan has not achieved the set goal. Waste bins and waste recycling The master plan mentions that within the framework of the EU-funded project "Yerevan, Warsaw, Tirana cooperation on common challenges of hazardous waste management," 930 new waste bins have been provided to Yerevan, along with two new trucks for servicing them. The addresses for sorting waste bins and the types of recyclable waste-paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum containers—have been expanded. According to the master plan, within the same project, it is expected that the number of waste collection addresses will increase from 135 to 300, and the number of waste bins will rise to 1,200. Since 2020, the program has resulted in the sorting and recycling of 30 tons of plastic, 30 tons of glass, and approximately 600 tons of paper annually.
According to the forecasts of "Greening and Environmental Protection" NGO, as the number of waste bins increases, it is expected that 50 tons of plastic, 50-60 tons of glass, and 1,000 tons of paper will be sorted and sent for recycling annually. Despite the sorting measures being implemented, EcoLur points out that they are not sufficient. Waste sorting is voluntary, and not everyone participates.
Given that 600,000 tons of waste accumulate annually at Nubarashen landfill site, only 0.11% of the total waste consists of sorted glass, plastic, and paper since 2020.
Even if the volume of sorted waste increases to around 1,110 tons, as projected by "Greening and Environmental Protection," the percentage will still only be 0.185%. Thus, Yerevan is not meeting either the short-term or long-term targets set by the "Green City Action Plan." Meanwhile, the target for urban solid waste recycling should be more than 15%, and for other waste, 30%. EcoLur observes that the steps outlined in the master plan regarding this issue are unclear, and there is no systemic regulation program for the problem. At a roundtable discussion held in January 2025, Serarpi Haykazyan, acting head of the Yerevan City Hall Environmental Protection Department, addressed the Nubarashen landfill issue. She said, "Nubarashen is not a sanitary landfill, it does not comply with any standards. Its closure is definite. The question arises whether it makes sense to close the old landfill and open a new one. The world has moved forward, and many cities and countries are already talking about recycling plants and closing sanitary landfills. We have received various proposals from international operators to establish a waste recycling plant in the city. Proposals have also come from the government. At this moment, there is a decision to proceed with establishing a waste recycling plant in the framework of public-private cooperation, and the closure of the Nubarashen landfill will be part of that context. The process is difficult and responsible, and we have decided to involve international partners who will help us obtain technical specifications from two competitions in order to choose the best. A two-stage competition will be announced in the spring, and by the end of the year, we will have more tangible information regarding the landfill."
February 06, 2025 at 15:41