Lviv hosts a perpetual campaign of collecting plastic corks. The proceeds will be used to purchase drugs for patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Campaign “Cork for life” is a joint project of the Lviv City Center of Social Services for Families, Children and Youth and Lviv City Charitable Foundation of “Sister Delilah.” The campaign consists in gathering plastic corks from bottles, yoghurt, pens, creams, medicines and transfering them to the of the recycling company. Funds raised for collecting corks would be transferred to account of CF of “Sister Delilah” for the purchase of essential medicines for patients with pulmonary hypertension – a rare incurable disease, the result of which is unability of person to breathe freely because of the increased pressure in the pulmonary artery.

“Plastic trash is dangerous to the environment, it decomposes slowly, but it can be used secondary”, – says Oksana Straz, coordinator of the campaign “Responsible City “, ” Association “Samopomich”. – Everybody buys something in a plastic bottle with a plastic cork. This is the case when helping another person is very easy – just don’t throw corks in the trash but bring it to the special container. This is how everyone can help those who need it. “

There are thirteen patients with pulmonary hypertension in Lviv and about forty in the region. Each of them requires from 40 to 120 thousand UAH per month for treatment, depending on the severity of the disease. Unfortunately, there are no government programs of providing these patients with appropriate medicines in Ukraine. That is why often these people are left on their own with the sinister disease and simply don’t get treatment.

Rubay

Oksana Rubay, acting director of the Lviv city center of social services for families, children and youth:

The campaign of collecting corks got started in March, on the International Day of pulmonary hypertension. We mostly talk about tuberculosis, HIV / AIDS, because this diseases are contagious, and pulmonary hypertension – isn’t contagious and isn’t transmitted hereditarily. But it can occur in anyone at any stage of life by accident. Then the person can not move, he feels out of breath, each move is a great effort for him.

In Europe collecting of corks is widely spread for a long time, as they are much more harmful from the rest of plastic. It’s better to throw the bottle opened, then they are more easily recycled and emit fewer toxins. A cork can be taken for recycling.There are companies in Lviv that can buy these corks. They call different prices – from 6 to 10 UAH per kilogram. The most expensive is a cork of bottles as it is food grade plastic, it has high concentration of plastic, and it can make even half a bottle.

The partners of this event are all school in Lviv, children are interested in it, they are actively involved. Containers labeled ” A CORK TO A CORK GATHER YOU AND I, TOGETHER WE SHALL SAVE LIVES!!!” are also in the city council and district administrations. This is both a help for patients and care for the environment of native land. Twice a month collected caps are brought into point in the territory of boarding school №2, which is on the Prosvity st., 2. Together we have already collected about a ton of corks. In October it will be passed for recycling to provide treatment for patients with pulmonary hypertension. The action will continue.

Places of collection of corks:

1. Lviv City Council – Rynok square, 1.

2. Regional Administration:

1) Galytska Administration – List st., 1

2) Zaliznychna Administration – Vyhovskoho st.,34

3) Lychakivska Administration – Levytskoho st., 67

4) Sykhivska Administration – Ch.Kalyny st., 66

5) Frankivska Administration – Henerala Chuprynky st., 85

6) Shevchenkivska Administration – Lypynskoho st., 11

3. Schools.

4. Baby Planet (Sky Park) – Stryyska st., 202

5. Arena Lviv – Stryyska st., 199

6. Park named after B.Hmelnytskoho – Bolharska st., 4

7. Lviv National Library of Stefanik – Stefanika st., 2.

8. The central office of “Association of Samopomich” – Mickiewicz sq., 6/7.

9. Office of “Association of Samopomich” in Sykhivskiy district – Chervonoyi Kalyny st., 64.

The article link:  http://lviv.samopomich.ua/zdaj-korok-vryatuj-zhyttya/