Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia (SPRIM)
ESCM is implementing European Union financed 4 year project “Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia” (SPRIM) together with international and national non-governmental organizations such as Caritas Czech Republic, Ecosoum and Mongolian Sustainable Development Bridge. The project started in September 2020 and will be completed in December 2024.
Waste management is a key issue in Mongolia due to urbanization, industrialization and increasing consumption of plastic-packaged products. Plastic waste is a particularly serious issue as it is causing widespread pollution and is also often dumped illegally, both by citizens and companies. A new Law on Waste was issued in 2017 but sustainable solutions have yet to be found and implemented.
The overall objective of the project is to contribute to economic prosperity and poverty reduction and support the development of a green economy and the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy in Mongolia.
National Adoption of New Standards: MNS ISO 15270:2024 and MNS ISO 16869:202A4 for Plastic Recycling and Plastic Factory Operations in Mongolia
As one of the major results of the SPRIM project, which aims to support the development of Mongolia’s green economy and transition to a low-carbon, resource-saving, and circular economy, today the plastic industry has national standards.
In March 2024, the Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology (MASM) approved two new standards proposed by the SPRIM project. After a year of careful consultation, the Technical Committee of Environmental Standardization at MASM endorsed new standards on February 23, 2024.
These two standards were developed based on the needs and requirements of the industry:
- MNS ISO 15270:2024 provides guidelines for recycling and recovery of plastic waste, while
- MNS ISO 16869:2024 establishes standards for evaluating the effectiveness of compounds inhibiting the growth of fungi in plastics.
The latter was approved as the first of its kind in the plastic industry of Mongolia.
By implementing these standards, plastic manufacturers will operate according to the highest standards, ensuring that their products meet sanitary-quality requirements for both domestic and foreign markets.
For awareness raising of consumers, Project team has organized a workshop on 11 April 2024 in Blue Sky Conference Center in Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia.
Representatives of the project implementing and financing organizations, the Agency for Standardization and Metrology, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations and experts in the field of plastic recycling in Mongolia participated in the activity and exchanged opinions on further implementation and results.
Experience — sharing Field Trip and Seminar in Waste Management
Representatives from the environmental and tourism sectors of 21 provinces in Mongolia recently embarked on a comprehensive study of the “Program for an Experience-Sharing Field Trip and Seminar in Waste Management” on-site.
This initiative, supported by funding from the European Union’s SPRIM project and now in its third year, is geared towards bolstering the long-term sustainability of plastic waste recycling in Mongolia.
An integral outcome of this endeavor has been the establishment of the Waste Management Facility in Khishig-Undur County of Bulgan province, which facilitates primary waste sorting for local residents.
From April 24th to 26th, representatives from these 21 provinces participated in a two-day program focused on exploring successful waste management practices. The first day saw participants benefiting from the extensive knowledge accumulated by the SPRIM project team over four years, covering topics such as environmental protection, sustainable resource use, and pollution reduction strategies.
On the second day, attendees had the opportunity to observe the operations of the Waste Management Facility in Khishig-Undur County, Bulgan province, and investigate possibilities for implementing similar initiatives in their respective areas.
