Continuing their work on mercury-related harms, Eco-Sense turned their attention to Veles, a city awash in mercury contamination (and other heavy metals) stemming from a now-defunct zinc smelter. Noting that the Veles smelter is often nicknamed the “Macedonian Chernobyl”, Eco-sense is committed to raising greater awareness in this heavily polluted area.
As a second phase of their e-waste project, CES in Belarus initiated a pilot program on e-waste management in which battery collection containers were provided throughout Minsk. In conjunction, a media awareness campaign about the environmental effects of improper battery disposal and e-waste featured posters, leaflets, brochures, and a mobile exhibition. Additionally, news media and other NGOs were provided with information to help educate the public, including a series of interviews and information e-newsletters.
In this project, Association pour la Défense de l’Environnement et des Consommateurs (ADEC) carried out a number of different activities in order to raise awareness about the sound management of waste in Rufisque and the district of Médina in Senegal.
Through research, AGENDA learned about existing regulations (voluntary and compulsory) concerning lead in paints in Tanzania and collaborated with regulators to produce materials based on this information. Additionally, AGENDA used brochures, news articles, and a previous project report to inform paint producers, distributors, and consumers about the human and environmental hazards from leaded paint and leaded paint products.
The Center "Cooperation for Sustainable Development" produced a novel and comprehensive report on electronic and electric equipment (EEE) waste disposal in Kazakhstan. In this project, organizers began their work via exhaustive data gathering of existing legislation that helped them pinpoint relevant stakeholders they should target.
Baytuna Society conducted a number of activities to properly understand the current situation and dangers associated with mercury contamination in Jordan. These activities included a review of all legislation governing mercury, literature review of all research studies conducted in the country, informational interviews with government officials, and the staging of events targeting relevant stakeholders to ascertain levels of understanding about the issue.
As a way of promoting the safe handling of medical waste and mercury-containing equipment, BaliFokus began by assessing the handling of mercury-containing devices and general medical waste management systems in local hospitals. After administering surveys and examining hospital waste management policies, organizers educated hospital staff about the dangers of medical waste incineration and existing alternatives to mercury-containing equipment.
In order to promote the FAO Code of Conduct and elimination of hazardous pesticide use in favor of more sustainable agricultural practices, AWHHE surveyed farmers and citizens in 4 villages to determine their awareness levels about and use of pesticides. Thereafter they organized a series of discussion groups with residents, farmers, youth groups, and local government officials to discuss the results, as well as distribute Armenian-language educational materials they hd drafted.
The NGO Association du Reseau Mediterraneen Pour le Developpement Durable (AREMEDD) organized a series of SAICM-related awareness generating activities throughout Tunisia from February to October 2010. These activities, which included the active participation of local NGOs, involved educating students about the dangers of lead in paint and mercury in used batteries, farmers about the adapting alternatives to pesticides, and representatives from the iron and steel industries about the impact of heavy metals on biodiversity.
