U.S. Ambassador Visits Recycling Plant in Veles to Mark Earth Day

April 20, 2007

Related Items: Remarks by Ambassador Milovanovic(pdf-191kb) | Fact Sheet: Earth Day 2007(pdf-233kb).

In celebration of Earth Day, U.S. Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, along with Macedonian Minister of Environment Dzelil Bajrami and Veles Mayor Ace Kocevski, visited the EKO-ERAS plastics recycling facility in Veles on Friday, April 20.  Earth Day, which is April 22, is observed annually around the world to highlight the importance of preserving the natural environment.  Earth Day celebrates the gains we have made in environmental awareness and inspires new visions for a cleaner future. 

The EKO-ERAS plastics recycling facility is one of several participants in a project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that promotes the recycling of plastic bottles.  The project has generated income for bottle collectors, jobs for company employees, revenue for firms, and exports for Macedonia.   The project also has reduced the amount of non-biodegradable garbage in Macedonia, promoting a cleaner environment in the country. 

Ambassador Milovanovic, Minister Bajrami, and Mayor Kocevski gave brief remarks underscoring the importance of protecting the environment.  In addition, the winners of a USAID-sponsored competition for the design of recycling containers to be placed in public areas and businesses in participating municipalities were announced. 

Please contact EKO-ERAS on tel. 043 239 133 for more information.