Barcelona, 21 June 2016 – The Green MED Initiative (GMI) project Closing Conference took place yesterday in Beirut, Lebanon, to highlight the successful promotion of sustainable environmental practices developed in the Mediterranean region during the 3-year project implementation.
The conference was attended by representatives of the more than 350 stakeholders from the public and private sector, NGOs and business support organizations from six Mediterranean countries that have been involved in the implementation of the project. Recycling has begun to take part of the agendas of the Mediterranean countries and as the president of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), Mohamed Choucair, declared: “This project has globally positioned the Mediterranean region in terms of environmental sustainability”.
Under the slogan “There is no planet B, Recycle!”, the Green MED Initiative has not only engaged students but also different private companies and SMEs from the Mediterranean region are now involved in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibilities) activities thanks to the project.
The problem of solid waste
Today, Mediterranean cities still face a significant challenge of urban solid waste in the Mediterranean, mainly due to several factors prevailing in the region, such as the absence of waste collection and disposal schemes and recycling facilities and lack of awareness. In this sense, this project, funded by the EU under the ENPI CBC MED Programme and in which ASCAME has been a partner of the consortium, has been a turning point in the innovative deposit return systems in the Mediterranean region to encourage recycling of packaging waste. A total of 162 Reverse Vending Machines have been installed in schools and universities of 5 Mediterranean countries, while 86.856 users recycled 691.114 plastic bottles and cans in Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia. The result is then very positive: 42.846 kilos of Co2 was avoided in the region.
The ASCAME network is strongly committed to the promotion of CSR and green economy in the Mediterranean. Pollution can only be tackled effectively through shared comprehensive solutions and heightened awareness. In this sense, the GMI project has represented an important step forward to encourage the young minds of the future and businesses to be environmentally responsible.
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