Green Valley Academy is one of the 25 local schools, 14 of them public, mobilized through a behavioural change campaign by the SWITCH-Asia project "PPP for 4Gs" (2014-2018), funded by the European Union and implemented by Winrock International in cooperation with the Namsaling Community Development Center. Since March 2016, the project has been conducting several behavioural change campaigns targeting schools, raising awareness among some 6000 students and their teachers about the adverse effects of waste burning and improved waste management practices.
The project provided the schools with bins with pictorial illustrations and labels to promote source segregation into degradable and non-degradable waste.
Soon after the project interventions, Mr. Gurung became fully aware of the magnitude of proper waste disposal, and its health and environment benefits. "Information on waste segregation at source and proper waste disposal mechanisms was an eye opener that resulted in behaviour change. After rigorous brainstorming, we designed innovative, cost-effective and sustainable segregation bins using sacks", he says.
While other schools in Ilam use small, readymade plastic bins, Green Valley Academy turned the sacks that were otherwise wasted after emptying rice, pulses and other eateries from the dormitory and the canteen into bins for collecting plastic and paper wastes. By reutilizing the sacks, the Academy saves on costs and provides bins that are less fragile and more durable. Importantly, they are easier to clean, which is a crucial factor in a city, such as Ilam, that is affected by extreme water scarcity.
 

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