Armenia is underdeveloped in its waste management and recycling activities. According to Waste Atlas, Armenia produces 368,618 tonnes of MSW per year or 119.8 kilograms (264 lb) per capita/year. In recent years there have been several attempts initiated by public activists to address this problem including the "Toprak Petq Chi" (Eng - I don't need a plastic bag) initiative targeting single-use plastic bags. Conversely, the municipal government of Yerevan - the capital of Armenia has made attempts to solve the problem for the city with a long term development plan, which includes three main phases:
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- In winter 2014, an international tender was announced for garbage collection. Two companies were chosen Lebanese waste management company called Sanitek who later opened a branch in Yerevan for operations in that city and Armenian/Swedish Companies called Ecogroup and LL Miliconsult.
- In summer 2016 The Armenian parliament ratified a loan agreement signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is providing an €8 million loan to Armenia to finance the construction of a solid waste landfill in Yerevan that will comply with EU regulations.
- According to the municipal government of Yerevan, the third step is aimed at introducing sorting out and recycling practices with projects that meet European Union standards and regulations.
Landfills
Sixty landfills exist in Armenia. No waste sorting, recycling, or reuse takes place at any of them. Instead, garbage is dumped into a working area and then flattened using a bulldozer to create a layer of garbage 300 centimetres (120 in) thick.
Nubarashen
The Nubarashen landfill, located near Yerevan,(40°6′24.19″N 44°32′49.26″E), is Armenia's largest waste disposal site. It receives almost all of the solid waste produced in the city of Yerevan and its suburbs, which is about 340 tons per day, or 102,000 tons per year. The site has accumulated over 7.5 million tons of domestic waste over 50 years.