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pilot project that may revolutionise
economy would bring massive
the recycling of packaging materials
benefits and cost savings.
such as plastic bottles and
cartons. The project’s closed loop
A rethink is long overdue 4
recycling model could be pivotal in Zero Waste Shop in Beirut
Two years ago, this magazine demonstrating workable solutions
A zero-waste lifestyle shop called
featured an article about kicking our to stop some or even all of the 13 EcoSouk opened in 2019 in the
plastic habit. It heavily featured the million tonnes of plastic entering Hamra neighborhood of Beirut,
circular economy and the work done the world’s oceans every year. 3 Lebanon. The store’s founder was
by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Let’s hope more of our regional proud that EcoSouk was the first
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation governments decide this is a perfect fully circular shop in the Middle East.
is a charity that aims to inspire a way to deal with our great big plastic As reported by Fast Company,
generation to re-think, re-design and problem. EcoSouk was founded by Recycle
build a more positive future within
Lebanon, a non-profit organisation
the circular economy.
Designing Out the Waste focused on creating social change
The circular economy has the Regionally we have a lot of plastic and a circular economy founded by
potential to solve the world’s waste, and sadly most of it is not Joslin Kehdy.
mounting waste problem by doing being reused or recycled but being As seen on Instagram, EcoSouk’s
away with the very concept of waste buried or burnt. One quick fix to product range includes a refill bar
altogether. By creating production
reduce our reliance on plastics with liquid products such as laundry
models that reduce reliance on raw
would be a ban of single use plastic detergent, shampoo, as well as
materials through continuously
bags. These products range from solid shampoo bars, essential
cycling materials of all types back straws, cups, bottles, plastic oils, handmade pottery, upcycled
into supply chains, companies
shopping bags, cigarette butts, jewellery, handmade pouches
stand to gain a business advantage
plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, and purses made from discarded
by protecting themselves against
plastic lids, stirrers, and foam take- plastic shopping bags, knives made
fluctuating commodity markets and
away containers. from reclaimed wood, books about
other future shocks.
plastic-free living, pencils, and tote
Some countries in Africa have seen bags. At the moment, the new zero-
This would ensure we become
a circular economy, where we such bans succeed far beyond waste store is focusing on selling
their expectations. In Kenya, the locally made items, most of which
currently live in a ‘take, make and
ubiquitous black plastic bags that appear to be made from natural or
waste’ linear economy.
were undoubtedly caught in trees recycled materials.
What is ‘Scale 360’?
In April 2019, the UAE became
the first country to sign the World
Economic Forum’s ‘Scale 360’
initiative, an innovative model for the
development of a circular economy
via the use of Fourth Industrial
Revolution technologies such as
Artificial Intelligence, Internet of
Materials and blockchain-based
solutions. The initiative provides
a model for a circular economy,
which employs the technologies of
the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
in order to keep resources in use
for as long as possible, extract the
maximum value from them whilst in
use, then recover and regenerate
products and material at the end of
each service life.

In the same month, the UAE’s
Ministry of Climate Change and
Environment, MOCCAE, and the
Coalition Circle announced their

7 year, Issue 26, Mar - May 2020 www.MiddleEast-Business.com
th