Lebanon’s beautiful landscape and evergreen forests have always been something we find great pleasure in boasting about. So much so, that we have given the cedar tree a prime spot on our nation’s flag.
However, with the unauthorized cutting down of trees and the rise of a garbage crisis in recent years, things are looking dispiriting on the government’s end of things. Not to worry though, because Lebanon’s civil community is here to the rescue!
Green NGO Recycle Lebanon just launched its latest project, the first zero-waste store in the Middle East. And it’s right here in Beirut!
EcoSouk, the store’s official name, is a new-concept green platform for the production and distribution of eco-friendly products. Eco-friendly products are “products that do not harm the environment whether in their production, use or disposal.”
So far, the EcoSouk is featuring everything from organic soaps and shampoos to kitchenware and accessories made of recycled material.
@ecosoukThe “Circular Hub”, as NGO founder Joslin Kehdy likes to call it, is the place to hit if you are looking to switch up your lifestyle to a healthier one, both for you and the environment.
The name is a play on the Arabic word for love, hub, and the concept of a circular economy, which endorses minimal waste and making the most of the resources of a nation.
Circular Hub is calling for a revolution that the entire Lebanese people can rally behind… A green one!
It also insists on providing baladi, or local alternatives to western innovations for green living.
Among its selling products: The Meswak, a tooth-cleaning twig that boasts anti-bacterial and medicinal properties and has been in use across the Middle East for 7,000 years.
The store is also giving its visitors burlap-wrapped akidinia (loquat) trees. The akidinia is a native Lebanese fruit tree that EcoSouk is distributing as part of an effort to encourage local produces and offset the store’s carbon footprint.
So, head down to Antoine Gemayel Street in Hamra to join the revolution! You will get a free tree with or without a purchase!