The European Union presented a series of inspirational ideas that have been put into practice by Lebanese municipalities, social enterprises, companies, NGOs, young entrepreneurs and academics who are passionate about protecting the environment and coming up with solutions to the challenges of solid waste management.
The initiatives were presented by Compost Baladi for the Environmental Entrepreneurship and Municipality Work category; Ecoserv for the Non-Governmental Organisation category; Towards a Waste-Free Education (USEK Green Committee) for the Academic and Awareness category; FabricAID for the Social Entrepreneurship category; the AUB Neighborhood Initiative for the Neighborhood and Partnership category; Golden Glass for the Corporate category; and NK by Nour Kays for the Eco-Citizenship category, while EcoConsulting supported the organisation of the presentations.
European Union Ambassador Christina Lassen commended the initiatives as prime examples of how Lebanese citizens can change the way Lebanon deals with its waste in a sustainable manner most notably through recycling.
"Today we wanted to put the spotlight on what works well in the sector. Not surprisingly, the good news comes mainly from private initiatives, whether dedicated individuals, NGOs, the academic world or small start-ups, in particular in the upcycling and recycling business."
The European Union encourages safe, economically viable and sustainable waste management in Lebanon that relies on the "waste hierarchy", an approach that priorities the prevention of waste, then reuse, recycle, recovery and, as a last resort, landfilling.
