The Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve offers residents of Nikolskoye to hand over certain fractions of waste for recycling and utilization.

The administration of the reserve has entered into a long-term cooperation agreement with EcoStar Technology company for the collection, transportation, processing, utilization, neutralisation and disposal of waste of I-IV hazard classes, operating on the basis of a perpetual license 025 No. 00321 dated May 15, 2017.

"This cooperation will allow us to dispose of a wide range of industrial waste: used tires, electrical equipment, waste paper, batteries, chemicals, mercury-containing and oily waste," said Deputy Director for Science Evgeny Mamaev.

Acting director of the reserve Evgeny Mamaev is for signing the agreement. Photo by The Commander Islands Nature Reserve press service

The signed agreement is another stage of the Green Commander Islands project, the goal of which is to create an effective system for the management of solid municipal (and not only) waste on the protected archipelago. Within the framework of the project, an incentive program has also been developed: by handing over waste for recycling, local residents will receive "green stamps" (in the photo), which will be exchanged for prizes with special meaning equivalent to the number of stamps.

An incentive program has been developed for local residents. By handing over waste for recycling, you can collect "green stamps", which will be exchanged for prizes with special meaning equivalent to the number of stamps. Photo by The Commander Islands Nature Reserve press service

In order to transfer, for example, used tires for recycling and find out more about the program, you need to contact the environmental education department at +7 (4154) 72-22-27 or email  green@commanderislands.ru  . If you would like to help with the collection and loading of waste on the ship, please also let us know. The first batch will be shipped by the nearest motor ship GUP KK KamchatTransFlot.

You can learn more about the dangers of incineration and landfilling of waste and the benefits of recycling and disposal by reading our booklet "What to do with garbage on Bering Island?" and subscribing to the social networks of the "Garbage Museum" @wastemuseum, where we cover all the news on Green Commander Islands project.

The reserve implements a separate collection program at the expense of extra-budgetary funds, including the sale of souvenirs and excursion programs for tourists. The nature reserve will cover the costs of transporting the waste to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and paying for the services of the recycling company.

For the population of Bering Island it is free, but for nature it is priceless! After all, the health of inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean, the villagers of Nikolskoye and the future of the Commander Islands - all this depends on the actions of each of us.