#BalaPlastic with Greenpeace, Recycle Lebanon, Mashrou’ Leila and Ehdeniyat!
Ever since the 2015 garbage crisis, we all became aware of just how bad the situation in Lebanon was. Drowning in untreated garbage, both in the streets and the sea. The #BalaPlastic movement is hoping to fight the problem at its root, given how hopeless it is to expect the government and whoever they award contracts to care about the environmental cost of their profits, or its adverse effects on our health.
#BalaPlastic’s aim is to convince people to use less single-use plastic products. These include things like water bottles, cups, cutlery, straws and a lot of other things we might use to avoid having to do the dishes. Every bottle, every fork (or spork!) and every plate you throw in a bin will inevitably end up in haphazard landfills, or floating in the beaches you guys Instagram all season.
Less than 10% of our garbage actually gets recycled, and that isn’t gonna change if we don’t do something about it ourselves, both on an individual basis and as groups. Just imagine, every single day, 700 tons of plastic is thrown out in Lebanon… Every, single, day.
What’s Being Done In the Next Two Weeks
It’s not like a problem without an easy, existing solution. There are widely available alternatives that are either multi-use, or simply recyclable.
Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior
Greenpeace’s ship Rainbow Warrior is going around the Mediterranean Sea, to countries like Greece, Italy and Spain. Its mission is to raise awareness on single use plastic, along with a report on its disastrous effects on the sea we all share. The report showed abysmal status of plastic in our Mediterranean… You can find the report here.
The Lebanon Leg
In Lebanon, Greenpeace launched the #BalaPlastic Movement. They teamed up with Recycle Lebanon to organize a beach clean-up event and an awareness day against single use plastic. It’s happening this Saturday, on August 5, 2017 at the Raouche Dalieh. The plan is to make this the biggest ever beach clean up in Lebanon, with lots of NGOs, groups and individuals participating in cleaning up the beach and sorting out the plastic. RSVP Here!
Mashrou’ Leila’s Ehdeniyat Concert
Mashrou’ Leila expressed their support for this initiative, and having been on the Rainbow Warrior themselves before, it struck close to home, literally. The idea is to use the plastic gathered on Saturday to create an awesome art installation designed by Di-Lab at the Mashrou’ Leila concert in Ehdeniyat on August 12th (RSVP here)!
I’m excited to be there this Saturday for the beach clean up, and the next Saturday in my beloved hometown of Ehden for Mashrou’ Leila’s special homecoming show after their tour!
The beach clean is organised by our friends at Recycle Lebanon, funded by The Mercy Corps. Al Midan NGO who work on environmental issues in Lebanon, has partnered up with the public sector and local communities. They will be providing a big part of the sorted plastic for the art installation!
Oh, and you get 50% off your Careem ride to the cleanup!
