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Project objectives

The project aims to demonstrate methods of environmentally sound collection and destruction of persistent organic pollutants (POP) and ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

  • The project will facilitate the participating countries in fulfilling their commitments under the Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol, and building up facilities to destroy ODSs and some POPs.
  • Within the scope of the project, the regulatory and legal framework in Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan will be reviewed, and their capacity to detect, evaluate, handle and process wastes in an environmentally safe manner will be strengthened.
  • With development of relevant rules and regulations, more opportunities will arise for the public-private partnership.
  • If successful, the project may be regarded as a pilot one for other countries with economies in transition.

The project objectives comply with the GEF‐5 strategy for chemicals aimed to consolidate focal areas Phase out POPs and reduce POPs releases and Phase out ODS and reduce ODS releases, and to extend GEF contribution to the sound management of chemicals.

In the first place, the following objectives of the Strategy are meant:

Objective 1: Phase out POPs and reduce POPs releases

  • The amount of avoided and reduced uncontrolled emissions of POPs in the secondary and tertiary sectors against the baseline will be measured in grams of toxic equivalency (TEQ).
  • The project is expected to destroy min. 11,700 MT of POP-containing wastes.

Objective 2: Phase out ODS and reduce ODS releases

  • The amount of reduced HCFC consumption will be measured in ODP t against the baseline.
  • The project is expected to destroy min. 418 MT ODS (4 mln t CO2-eq).

The project activities are grouped in several components with different objectives and tasks.

1. National regulatory framework for ODS and PCB/POP management and disposal

  • Development of relevant regulations and guidelines on ODS- and POP-containing waste disposal for each participating country
    • Revision of the national laws, regulations and recommendations on disposal of ODS-, POP- and PCB-containing wastes
    • Development of new regulatory instruments for various issues of ODS, POP, PCB disposal in the participating countries
    • Elaboration of the adequate financing model to ensure long-term sustainability of the sub-regional centers
    • Capacity strengthening for qualified sampling and analysis to determine and evaluate PCB and POP content in wastes

2. Regional network of national sub-networks for collection, storage, transportation, and complete destruction of ODS- and POP-containing wastes

  • Assessment of capability to dispose ODS- and POP-containing wastes, and obsolete pesticides in the sub-regional centers
    • Development of national plans for ODS and POP disposal
    • Establishment of three national centers for ODS and POP collection, transportation, and disposal
  • Creation of conditions for coordinated management of recycling end-of-life refrigerating equipment and disposal of ODS- and POP-containing wastes in the region, including infrastructure, control and reporting systems
    • Establishment of the database of ODS-, POP-, and pesticide-containing wastes
    • Creation of conditions for regional cooperation of the participating countries in recycling of ODS-containing equipment, and POP and ODS disposal

3. ODS extraction during recycling of refrigerating equipment with subsequent destruction at new facilities

  • Capacity building for recycling refrigerating equipment with recovery and subsequent destruction of ODS
    • Advanced technologies for recycling refrigerating equipment and destruction of ODS
    • Construction, installation, and commissioning of facilities for recycling of refrigerating equipment with recovery of ODS in the participating countries
    • Collection and recycling of approximately 400,000 units of end-of-life refrigerators and air conditioners
    • Destruction of approximately 418 t of recovered ODS

4. Environmentally sound management and destruction of PCB-contaminated equipment and wastes containing POP-pesticides

  • Capacity building for destruction of PCB-contaminated equipment and POP-pesticides at the ODS, PCB, POP destruction facilities
    • Assessment of advanced technologies for treatment and destruction of PCBs and POPs
    • Development of national plans for decontamination of PCB-containing transformer oil and PCB destruction in the participating countries
    • Building up of facilities for destruction of ODS and POP-pesticides in the participating countries
    • Destruction of 11,700 t of PCB-contaminated wastes, other POPs and pesticides

5. Project monitoring and evaluation

  • Monitoring and evaluation of the project implementation with further dissemination of best practices and lessons learned
    • Development and adoption of M&E plans at a national and regional levels, including publication of reports
    • Midterm and final evaluation