On April 28, the official opening of the "Ecostation" pavilion took place on the banks of the Kazanka River in Kazan. The new open space combines an interactive eco-educational exhibition, a place for public environmental events, a recycling workshop and a mobile waste collection point. The project was implemented in partnership with Kazanka Development Strategy, EcoTechnologies, EcoLogic Community, Kazan Parks and Squares Directorate and Kazan City Hall.
Iskander Giniyatullin, deputy head of the executive committee in charge of housing and utilities and civil defense, curator of the city's SD strategy projects:
Kazan is on the way to sustainable development. Eco-education is the most important condition for sustainable development of the city. The eco-station opened today is a prototype of the future ESG laboratory center, a competence center for intelligent consumption and closed-loop economy that we are beginning to implement in the city. A team of experts is already working on a strategy for the transition to ESG principles. Together with you, we are taking important steps in this direction. And we are very pleased to welcome here many environmental communities with whom we have been working for many years and who actively support all your initiatives. We also invite local residents to participate in future changes. We are very happy to welcome everyone in our large circle, we are open to suggestions, we are waiting for the development of this movement and the creation of everything new and better for Kazan.
Aigul Latypova, Director of the Directorate of Parks and Squares of Kazan:
For 7 years the Directorate of Parks and Squares of Kazan has been implementing an environmental agenda in parks - event and environmental program of the Kazanka River Development Strategy, environmental rafting, electric subbotniks. Together with the Kullar company, we made benches, changing rooms and a Christmas tree from recycled plastic. And in the park named after Uritskogo, together with the company "Verkhnyaya". A composter was installed in Uritsky Park together with Vernivgrunt. We also resumed the legendary mobile station with the community "Ecological", which used to be held in MEGA Kazan. The appearance of the Ecostation on the bank of the Kazanka River, as well as the mobile station is for us a continuation of the agenda. The first action of the mobile station on March 31, which was attended by more than 700 residents of Kazan and resulted in the collection of 2.8 tons of recyclable materials, showed that there is a demand from the population.
Alena Kazakova, EcoTechnologies Project Manager:
Kazan has a well-developed eco-community and many environmentally conscious people. In order to support and develop the eco-culture, the city lacked a permanent, publicly accessible thematic space. The station is designed to become such a place, both for those who practice eco habits and for newcomers. We designed the pavilion to show the full life cycle of waste, and to give people the opportunity to recycle recyclable materials themselves using recycling equipment, and to make an eco-friendly souvenir as a keepsake.
Farida Gazimova, EcoLogic community activist:
The dream of the team and our community about the Ecocenter has begun to come true. Here we will be able to combine resources and ideas of different projects. I believe that the work of the Eco-station will attract new like-minded people and will be the first step towards the creation of a large urban eco-space.