Complex Awareness Raising and Behaviour Change for the Mercury-Free City Environment

Introduction

LIFE MERCURY-FREE project raises the issue of mercury environmental contamination, which comes from traditionally underestimated sources related to the use of mercury-containing goods in everyday life. These goods are often mishandled by consumers due to a lack of information and consumer-friendly means of disposal.

Project Objectives

The General Objective of the project is to reduce the environmental contamination by mercury contained in household consumer goods. This will be achieved through:

1. Providing informational support via a communication and cooperation platform.
2. Organizing a wide informational and educational campaign.
3. Implementing behavioral change activities using the Behavioural Insights approach.
4. Building multi-stakeholder confidence by creating Mercury-Free City Communities in participating cities.
5. Applying the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue methodology for joint problem-solving.

Pilot Cities

The project will pilot a complex of activities in four cities with similar characteristics:

• Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine – a state that has not yet signed the Minamata Convention.
• Lodz and Cracow in Poland.

Additionally, three more cities will serve as control cities and replicators of the first project results:

• Larissa (Greece)
• Evora (Portugal)
• Camerino (Italy)

Main Activities and Deliverables

The main activities and deliverables of the project include:

• LIFE e-HUB: An electronic platform that combines the project website, an electronic community of practice, and a Moodle-based educational platform.
• Methodical Recommendation: “Advancement of the mercury-containing waste management with quadruple helix territorial advisory structures.”
• International e-Conference: “Mercury-Free City: Danger in our Homes.”
• Multi-Stakeholder Roadmap: For Mercury-Free City.
• International Mercury-Free City Marathons.
• Academy of Mercury Free LIFE.
• Summer Schools: For municipalities, NGOs, and educational institutions.
• Mutual Learning Exercise.
• Mercury-Free City Communities.