About — RecycleIt (Armenia)
Winter 2019 - D-Lab I
The client is Irina Mkrtchyan, a Humphrey fellow from Armenia, who works with Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development on Communities (ISSD) to promote community-based programs focusing on waste management, agriculture, and education. The ‘Recycle It!’ initiative aims to incorporate waste sorting and recycling into the culture of Armenia. The aim of this project is to reduce the use of plastic bags by creating reusable barcode bags. As an approach to mitigating plastic pollution and creating a recycling culture amongst the community, the barcode will be connected to the rewards system of local grocery stores. These barcode bags will be used in place of a traditional rewards card that unlocks member offers. As the customer presents the reusable barcode bag to the cashier, they will cumulate bonus points with every scan.
The scope of this project includes selecting an environmentally friendly material for the bag, designing a graphic to make the bag aesthetically pleasing, and selecting optimal locations for the barcode to be placed on the bag. The goal for designing the bag is for it to be an alternative to single use bags that Armenians regularly use. As these are a symbol of freedom from Soviet Rule [TED], the new bags should entice customers. The reusable barcode bags are designed for communities in Armenia to promote waste sorting and create a recycling culture.