​For ASAP Romania, the social responsibility program of The Institute Foundation, 2023 was a year of strengthening regional partnerships with both local administrations and educational institutions through their representatives: training courses on waste management registered a significant increase in the interest of participants compared to 2022. No fewer than 911 teachers and support staff were trained by partners from the Ecotheque Association on the legal obligations of educational units regarding waste management and management, the circular economy and effective solutions for waste management in schools.

Activities implemented in 2023 by ASAP Romania

The ASAP team in 2023 managed to combine the theme of separate collection and the game component and make teenagers across the country curious, active, more informed and responsible for the environment. Alex Zamfir’s ‘Truth or Recycle’ plastic quiz and challenge game has become a star game that ASAP has used in workshops and masterclasses for students across the country, including the capital. The game has also reached schools, so it can be used in the classroom as a learning material. Two such extremely useful resources, this time for teachers, have been developed by ASAP 2023: a digital kit for Green Week with activities and information about recycling, and a practical guide to separate collection.

The ASAP program aims to create the largest single infrastructure for the separate collection of waste in schools in Romania, so that in 2023 it will carry out actions for students throughout the country. Workshops with Alex Zamfir, the BANDA ASAP competition on recycling, with prizes for students from the counties of Bucharest, Brasov, Iasi, Ilfov and Constanta, or the ASAP+ School, in which 6 high schools will become model, sustainable schools, are actions that certify the purpose of the program as soon as possible.

Also, because recycling is cool, the ASAP team also looked for the most interesting events in 2023 to teach teenagers about plastics and separate collection; this is how the partnership continued with Electric Castle, with a civil society event, with the Forum of Green Cities in Brasov or other environmental organizations within the framework of the “River Cleanup Collective @Dunăre”.

Over 1,600 partner schools; 10% have fully digitized waste reporting

To date, the ASAP program includes more than 1,600 partner schools from 36 settlements and municipalities of the Romanian counties and 4 sectors of the capital, 7 more cities than in 2022, as well as more than half a million students of pre-university cycles, to which they have access to information, workshops or seminars held in the schools to which they belong.

114 educational institutions fully digitized waste reporting in 2023 guided by ASAP and upload figures directly to the expert-deseuri.ro platform

Amount of collected waste and carbon footprint

ASAP school units reported data on waste collected in 2023. In total, we are talking about 721 tons of collected waste, of which 82 tons are recyclable and 639 tons of household waste with an average amount per student of 15.74 kg, an increase from 2022 – 14.31 kg.

According to partners from the “Ekoteka” Association, schools that joined the ASAP program in 2023 contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions by the equivalent of 22.41 tons.

“The year 2023 has certainly been a year of strengthening the partnership established during the period of the program and we believe that it is necessary to periodically ensure good cooperation when the main goal is to develop a national network of separate collection infrastructure in schools. everyone involved. So, in 2023 we organized 10 virtual meetings with more than 400 school representatives to familiarize themselves with the program, get news and get recommendations, as well as 5 round tables in Brasov, Iasi, Calarasi, Constanta and Bucharest with approximately 100 participants – school representatives, local administrations, sanitary workers, environmental bodies, etc. – present ideas, clarify situations, discuss next actions and draw conclusions. We are glad that the topic of separate collection is no longer treated with reluctance and that there is more and more openness from all participants.” recalled Michaela Tutunaru, ASAP program coordinator.

Plans and goals for 2024 for ASAP Romania

As a general goal for 2024, ASAP Romania aims to increase the level of interaction with the program’s active community and develop useful educational tools on the topics of social responsibility, especially environmental protection.

In addition, ASAP aims to continue efforts started in 2023 to promote alternative learning methods in and outside of schools regarding separate collection, and to train teachers and administrative staff on sustainability and environmental protection. Activities through which ASAP will engage with students both in schools and in the digital environment will continue in 2024.

All information about the ASAP program is available on the official ASAP Romania website and social media accounts, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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Media partners: Embassy of Sustainability in Romania, Hotnews, Rock FM.

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About ASAP Romania

ASAP (Army of Smart Plastic Selection) is a social responsibility program launched by The Institute Foundation that aims to change teenagers’ behavior towards plastic, from use to separate collection and recycling. The goal of ASAP is to actively contribute to the promotion of environmental education among the target audience and to create the largest single infrastructure for the separate collection of waste for recycling in all schools in Romania. Currently, the program operates in more than 1,600 schools in 36 cities and municipalities in Romania, and information on separate collection and recycling reaches more than half a million pre-university students.

ASAP is a program supported by Lidl Romania that contributes to the goals of the REset Plastic strategy of the Schwarz group, of which the retailer is a part. The REset Plastic strategy includes five areas of action – from avoiding the use of plastic in packaging and rethinking its design, to recycling and greening, to innovation and education in this field.

Article supported by ASAP Romania