GAM embarks on waste segregation project

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Saturday launched an innovative sustainable development project focusing on climate and resource protection. 

The launch ceremony saw the attendance of Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh, Manager of the Environment Studies and Awareness Department at GAM Omar Arabiyat, GIZ representatives Christoph Engelhardt and Hala Adwan, and Radwan Neigbourhood Committee representative Basma Lozi, in addition to GAM officials, media and representatives of the private and public sectors.

The project, funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), utilises a circular economy to protect the climate and resources through waste segregation, and will run through 2021, Manager of the Environment Studies and Awareness Department at GAM Omar Arabiyat said during the launch ceremony.

It aims to provide solutions to environmental issues within the framework of genuine cooperation between the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and GAM, he said.

The project will work to improve Amman’s waste management system through promoting waste separation at the source, providing the necessary expertise and organising workshops and training programmes to raise environmental awareness, reduce the cost of waste collection and prolong the longevity of dumpsters, Arabiyat said.

The project will begin in three trial locations — Radwan neighbourhood, Rawaq neighbourhood and the downtown area — with a working group of GAM specialists, GIZ officials and representatives of the Future Leaders Institution, a specialised institution that works to enable community members to overcome poverty by building capacities and implementing development projects, according to the GAM official.

"With the continuous efforts of GAM personnel, a warehouse at Gabawi landfill is currently under construction to handle recyclable waste,” Arabiat said, also highlighting an outreach campaign with the slogan "Sort Right", which aims to raise awareness on the importance of waste segregation.

The campaign, which started in August, works towards reducing the negative impact of waste on the environment and citizens, Arabiyat added.

"The actual commencement of collecting recyclable trash will be in January 2020," he said.

"Under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, GAM always aims to provide better services for citizens and make a change in order to move to another level of development," Mayor Shawarbeh said at the launch.

"Today, we are facing a reality that cannot be ignored, that is, climate change. As all of us need to be part of its solution, GAM, with its strategic plans, launched this project,” he added.

GIZ started implementing its projects in 1979, with a focus on water, vocational training and solid waste management, said Hala Adwan, project officer at GIZ.

“Waste management is one of the most important priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals, and GIZ is working towards that goal through this project," she added.

Basma Lozi, a resident of Radwan neighbourhood for more than 40 years, shared her story during the ceremony, saying: "Three years ago, I was part of a group of women who looked for support to develop our area to make it appropriate for children and the elderly, and today with GAM's support, that dream is being fulfilled."

"The most important thing is to love what you do, because with love and true abilities, everything is possible," Lozi told The Jordan Times at the event.