For the sixth year in a row, the Baikal Lake Foundation has been implementing the program “Trash Free National Parks” in the territory of Baikal protected areas, helping the Zabaikalsky National Park, Pribaikalsky National Park, and Chikoy National Park in developing waste separation practices.
In the 2024 season, we achieved impressive results:
1. We sent almost 6 tons of waste for recycling – even more than last year!
At the end of the season, over 5,940 kg of recyclables (plastic, metal, glass) were sent from the national parks for recycling – 3,367 kg more than last year! We collected 2,113 kg of waste in the Zabaikalsky National Park, 3,772 kg in the Pribaikalsky National Park, and 55 kg in the Chikoy National Park.
- Plastic: 996 kg sent for recycling;
- Glass: 3,859 kg sent for recycling;
- Metal: 1,085 kg sent for recycling.
2. We continue to upgrade the infrastructure for waste separation.
Thanks to the support of the Foundation, new infrastructure has been established in the Zabaikalsky National Park: mesh containers, bins for guest houses, and informational signs on the containers.
3. We are engaged in environmental education for tourists and local population.
As part of the program, employees of the Pribaikalsky National Park conducted 6 educational campaigns on the topic of separate waste collection with quizzes and ecological prizes in the settlements of Khuzhir, Bolshoe Goloustnoe, and Listvyanka. 1743 people of different ages participated in the campaigns!
In the Zabaikalsky National Park, the Baikal Reserve School continues its operations, where more than 830 people learned about the importance of waste separation this year. Prizes made from glass and plastic caps, collected last year and recycled into souvenirs in the form of symbols of Baikal, are particularly popular in the national parks!
4. We share the program’s experience at the national level.
Throughout the year, the Foundation’s employees have been sharing the experience of the “Trash Free National Parks” program at specialized events. The practices of the program were presented at events such as the XXIII International Forum “Ecology of Big City” and the Russian Ecological Forum-2024 (REF). In December 2024, the project became a laureate of the all-Russian competition “Reliable Partner – Ecology.”
We express our gratitude to the participating national parks as well as the partners who financially supported the project in 2024: the “World Around You” Foundation, LAB Industries and BARRIER.