“Recycling is a lot more than segregating waste. It is an act of love for nature and a commitment for our future. We have the possibility and responsibility to take care of the world around us, making decisions that shape a better future. The world changes when we start to recycle our thoughts and attitudes as well”, said Griselda Gjepali, a 14 years old student from “Qemal Mici” school in Durres, while delivering an emotional speech in an event held aiming to promote activism on reducing plastic waste and environment protection. Gjepali, represented her peers on stage, emphasising the importance of recycling processes for the society and the environment. 

She is one of 250 inspiring students from 12 primary schools in Durres which participated in a friendly plastic collection competition. Young environmentalists and their teachers, together with “River Clean Up Albania Movement” have been actively collecting plastic waste over the past weeks showing through their efforts, how small actions change perceptions and engage society, parents included, in proactive actions to protect nature. At the same time, their ambition has been to raise awareness and educate their communities on environmental issues and the damages of plastic wastes. As students were encouraged to make tangible contributions to recycling efforts, while learning how their actions help protect the environment, to celebrate these efforts, Europe House organized an event at “14 Nëntori” School in Durres, a facility renovated through the “EU4Schools” programme. 

EU Delegation to Albania

“We are happy to see that it's not anymore just about the building but about you! Our message is very simple; we want to encourage exactly this kind of projects, that from an early age you understand the importance of protecting the environment. Plastic needs 500 years to decompose and I hope you will be the generation to change how we deal with it”, said Jean-Baptist Le Bras, Deputy Head of Political Section at the European Union Delegation to Albania during the event.

EU Delegation to Albania

Students have also joined WhatsApp groups to coordinate further actions, creating a vibrant “plastic social network” and also to demonstrate with tangible examples that collecting plastic wastes, pays back. A total of 2080 kg of plastic was collected in the city, around their houses and schools. 1655 kg, around 80% of the collected plastic was recycled, to be converted into sports and recreational tools for educational environments. The 12 schools involved in the competition received participation certificates for their actions in protecting the environment. Artistic installations made of recycled plastic from the students of "Vinçenc Prendushi", "Bajram Curri", " Jusuf Puka", "Kushtrimi i Lirise" etc., were displayed during the ceremony, where representatives from German, Croatian and Netherlands embassies were also present. The competition awarded with the first prize "Marie Kaçulini” school for collecting 520kg plastic waste, from which 430kg recyclable; the second prize went to "Bilal Golemi" school which collected 380kg plastic waste, from which 190 kg recyclable and the third prize went to “Jusuf Puka” school, which collected 200kg, from which 190 recyclable.

EU Delegation to Albania

“Today we are all winners, because winning means turning plastic into school tools”, said one of the teachers to all the participants, as the initiative highlights solid steps on environmental stewardship above all, on future generations encouraging students to make tangible contributions to recycling efforts and learning how their actions help protect the environment. 

“At first, there was shame to collect the plastic, now we learned to use it in a helpful way. If children are taught that plastic has a value in the market, and its related circular economy, we can change the behaviour. We are all sensible to the children, so maybe following their example, private companies and institutions will do the same starting from the schools where we get education”, says Laura Gjyli who has been advocating for years on reducing plastic waste with “River clean up”, collecting 170 thousand kg of plastic waste from which, 14 thousand kg recycable, at the most polluted shores like river discharges of Erzen and Ishmi in almost 5 years.

Durres, which preserves traces of many cultures the country has known, has recently been setting an example of protection from plastic.