Solid waste management has become a major concern both to the natural environment and society. While the focus to solve this problem starts with the urban areas where the volume of solid waste generated is massive, the project Anti-Littering Partnership for Green Rural Areas – APRA aims to introduce modern practice of waste management in rural communities from Georgia and Armenia. 

Considerable work has been done to introduce plastic and paper separation in the target rural communities in Armenia. 4 pilot villages have been selected: Gosh and Aghavnavank (Dilijan Municipality), Shahumyan and Darbas (Vanadzor Municipality). In total, 16 containers for plastic collection and 8 containers for paper collection were placed in the communities from Armenia.

In Georgia, 2 municipalities are targeted by the project: Tskhaltubo and Khoni.

In the rural communities from Tskhaltubo Municipality: Kvitiri, Maglaki, Partskanakanevi, Geguti, and Mukhiani were placed 60 containers for plastic collection and 50 containers for paper collection. In Ivandidi and Gordi from Khoni Municipality, 20 containers for plastic collection and 10 containers for paper collection are set up throughout the communities.

For the rural communities from Georgia and Armenia this is the first practice for waste management and so far, the community input is promising. Together with the public awareness campaign, the project beneficiaries are confident to have a greener attitude in the rural communities.