The GEF-UNIDO Project and reduction of inequality
One of the chapters of UNIDO interactive publication, Montreal Protocol and Beyond, presents the case of BelVTI, the partner of the GEF-UNIDO Project in Belarus, to show how the implementation of the Montreal Protocol fights inequality.
JSC “BelVTI” is a leading waste management company in Belarus, and an important partner in UNIDO’s regional project for Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. UNIDO is working with the public and private sector in each of these countries to develop the necessary legislation, infrastructure and capacity to destroy ODS and POPs, in a safe and sustainable manner.
BelVTI is engaged in the first part of the process: the collection of waste materials. In the case of ODS disposal, this means collecting obsolete or non-repairable refrigerators, freezers and air- conditioners and extracting any remaining ODS (from the insulation foam or cooling circuit). When appliances come into BelVTI – from companies or collection points – the employees first assess the technical condition and maintainability. If the appliance is unrepairable, BelVTI extracts and recovers all valuable materials, such as iron, copper, aluminium and plastics and processes the waste. BelVTI’s role in UNIDO’s regional project is to capture and consolidate the ODS from this equipment, for subsequent disposal.
| “In JSC BelVTI, there is no prejudice or division of employees into full-fledged and disabled, everyone works for a common result.” Alexander Kirpichnik Director of BelVTI |
In 2017, BelVTI introduced a new business model for restoring and remanufacturing RAC appliances, recognising that much of the equipment supplied for recycling and disposal could be refurbished and given a second life. For this, the company employs 12 people with disabilities, pulling them out of long-term unemployment, training them and empowering them to participate fully and equally in society.
Prospective employees receive 3 months of training so that they can work independently as qualified experts. One of BelVTI’s employees, Aniky Sergey, has a medical diagnosis of cerebral palsy, but this does not prevent him from working as a mechanic. In his first 3 months at BeIVTI, he worked as a repairman’s assistant, whilst undergoing technical training and acquiring practical skills. Now, he is an independent specialist and carries out repairs of any complexity on all types of household appliances.
In 2020, BeIVTI successfully refurbished and sold over 4,000 units of refrigerators and large-scale appliances; illustrating the economic benefits of building sustainable and inclusive business models. In the global campaign to reduce inequality and discrimination, industry is proving to be a powerful vehicle of change, progress and development in society.
These activities are being implemented in the framework of the “Regional Demonstration Project for Coordinated Management of ODS and POPs Disposal in the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia” project, funded by the GEF.
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