Women activists in Shaat recycle under the slogan “Instead of burning, we sell”

Three organizations, namely Jupiter for Tourism Development, Baalbak and its neighborhood, and the Lebanese Environmental Movement, collaborated in implementing a model environmental project in the Lebanese village of Shaat in the Beqaa. Some 40 women activists are involved in this initiative which focuses on gathering and sorting solid waste.  Local task groups were formed in the village and were given simple bags to sort refuse. Women activists created simple tools to press metallic and plastic refuse and agreed with a municipal worker to gather the garbage in a temporary site offered by the Municipality.  In a interview undertaken by As Safir newspaper with some of the activists, Wafaa Hajj Hassan, an owner of a food shop, noted that she used one corner of her shop to store and sort her own solid waste.  Fatmeh Shamas and her sister encouraged their daughters and daughters in law to participate in the project which carries the slogan: “Instead of burning, we sell”.  Fatmeh added that she was able to produce decorative vases from wastes she had sorted and noted that tin can be sold at USD 1,800 per ton!  The Municipal head, Adel Al Ayek, noted for his part his enthusiasm regarding this idea and added that his municipality allocated a space for gathering sorted waste and offered a system to collect it.  He also added that his Municipality is ready to spread this idea amongst students and he also suggested to allocate one day a week for refuse collection and sorting.
(Source: As- Safir 5 January 2015)