Episode 1_Introduction to Circular Economy

Episode 1 -
Introduction to
Circular Economy

Who am I?
Maya Wakim (Community Developer at makesense)
Having graduated with a degree in Media and Communication and an emphasis in Journalism (visual and written), I
enjoy discovering hidden stories around me. Through meeting the faces behind artistic, social and environmental
initiatives, I learned to grow my passion for supporting others, as well as using my skills to learn, create and transform
communities around me.
In my spare time, you will find me reading, writing or filming anything related to the anthropological and cultural
history of Lebanon and other countries. I’ve previously documented and lived with numerous communities including
Nubians in Egypt, bedouins in Jordan, and the Sinhalese and Tamil in Sri Lanka.
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Table of contents
01
02
03
04
HALAQA
Program
What is makesense
Why is this program
important?
The culture
05
06
07
Introduction to CE
Local examples
What could be
done
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01
HALAQA Program

_Agenda of the program
Thursday July 15: Episode 2 - Refurbishing and Upcycling with Nourhane Mokahal
Monday July 19: Episode 3 - Food Waste with Sarah Assaf El Chammas
Wednesday July 28: Episode 4 - Waste Management with Nour Nazar
Monday August 2nd: Episode 5 - Sense Su2al with Marc Karam
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_Objective and suggested next steps:
HALAQA aims to equip citizens with the needed tools to better understand the concept of circular
economy and sustainable development. Throughout the 5 online sessions, participants will learn about the
different components of a circular economy, meet local startups and solution creators, and discuss
pressing issues.
Once the program is done, you are offered 3 paths:
> Receive a training and support in organizing your own awareness campaign and/or event of the
topic of your choice
> Discuss ways to develop your initiative, start up or club
> Complete the program and receive the certificate of completion along the volunteering hours
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02
What is makesense

_Meet makesense!
The worldwide makesense community brings together engaged citizens,
passionate entrepreneurs, and forward-looking organizations to work
collectively for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient world.
Citizens Entrepreneurs Organizations
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_How we started

_Each person has a role to play
I’m becoming an
entrepreneur
I’m discovering
what topics I care
about
I help support social
entrepreneurs
I’m changing career
paths
I’m exploring and
am planning on
launching my own
project
I motivate others
to go from idea to
action

How can you take action on
environmental and social issues
when you don’t know where to
start?
At makesense, we believe that social innovation can
bring new answers to the issues of the 21st century. We
offer social entrepreneurship support, access to our
ecosystem and incubators, funding and credibility.
We are currently running our incubation program OMDI 2.
At makesense, we design impact
programs that informs and equips
citizens with the needed tools to
work on the topics they care about.
Our programs are designed to
encourage citizens to work
together moving from individual
awareness to collective action.

_Local communities that organize events

...and one online family

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Why is this program
important?

_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ I, alone, won’t be able to make such a difference
→ What is the point in putting the effort when big companies are still polluting
→ We have bigger problems to worry about
→ It takes more effort to be sustainable
→ I don’t see the impact that I’m doing
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_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ I, alone, won’t be able to make such a difference
“shu we2fit 3aleye” mindset - we underestimate the role that one individual can make, especially that one
individual can influence those around them which creates a chain
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_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ I, alone, won’t be able to make such a difference
“shu we2fit 3aleye” mindset - we underestimate the role that one individual can make, especially that one
individual can influence those around them which creates a chain
→ What is the point in putting the effort when big companies are still polluting
Individual role is different than the organization role - it is like we are saying what is the point in being
good if there is evil in the world
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_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ I, alone, won’t be able to make such a difference
“shu we2fit 3aleye” mindset - we underestimate the role that one individual can make, especially that one
individual can influence those around them which creates a chain
→ What is the point in putting the effort when big companies are still polluting
Individual role is different than the organization role - it is like we are saying what is the point in being
good if there is evil in the world
→ We have bigger problems to worry about
Adopting a circular economy can actually solve/alleviate some of those problems
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_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ It takes more effort to be sustainable
Consumer culture was created to make it easier for people to throw and buy rather than use and reuse -
being sustainable would require teaching ourselves a new routine
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_Why is this program important?
Many people believe:
→ It takes more effort to be sustainable
Consumer culture was created to make it easier for people to throw and buy rather than use and reuse -
being sustainable would require teaching ourselves a new routine
→ I don’t see the impact that I’m doing
It takes time to see the literal impact we do, the more we do it, the bigger the impact will be - example of
skin care routines, you need to apply it daily to see the final result after a while
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ We live in a world with finite resources
→ The topic of global warming is on the table
→ The current measures taken are not enough, changes will be adopted
→ Grants, and financial support to develop circular initiatives
→ Community boycott against multinational consumer products that are polluting
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ We live in a world with finite resources
At some point, we will be forced to follow a circular model to be able to meet global needs (especially with
food, transportation, and basic necessities)
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ We live in a world with finite resources
At some point, we will be forced to follow a circular model to be able to meet global needs (especially with
food, transportation, and basic necessities)
→ The topic of global warming is on the table
Politically speaking, more and more countries are adopting and enforcing environmental laws such as
banning styrofoam, single use plastic and reducing taxes on circular companies
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ We live in a world with finite resources
At some point, we will be forced to follow a circular model to be able to meet global needs (especially with
food, transportation, and basic necessities)
→ The topic of global warming is on the table
Politically speaking, more and more countries are adopting and enforcing environmental laws such as
banning styrofoam, single use plastic and reducing taxes on circular companies
→ The current measures taken are not enough, changes will be adopted
Current model includes “toxin tax” or a green tax which makes the organization pay the more they produce
carbon dioxide → it doesn’t solve the problem since consumers would still be using the polluting resource
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ Grants, and financial support to develop circular initiatives
Stems from different sources: forward thinking intrapreneurship, big companies, greenwashing, embassies
etc..
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_Why is this program important?
Circular economy is the future:
→ Grants, and financial support to develop circular initiatives
Stems from different sources: forward thinking intrapreneurship, big companies, greenwashing, embassies
etc..
→ Community boycott against multinational consumer products that are polluting
The role of social media in boycotting unethical and polluting organizations
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04
The culture

_What is the tossing culture?
1 2 3
Use
Throw Landfill
Use a product, consume
what it offers, be left with
the packaging.
Mission: getting rid of the
packaging
Getting rid of the package,
to eventually get another
one.
Mission: find a bin
The garbage is packed up,
either will be sorted and
picked up by a factory, or
it will end up in the landfill
Mission: ……..
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_What is consumer culture?
(from production point of view)
1 2 3
Advertise Produce Re produce
Make the product become
a need for people
Mission: market, and
advertise
Design your product in a
user friendly way, as well as
an ‘addictive’ way
Mission: research and
development
Example: can of soda vs.
bottle of soda
The more people consume,
the more they will buy
Mission: find the cheapest
production chain and keep
making profit
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_What is a circular culture
1 2 3
Consume Re use Tell everyone
Consume the product and
keep the packaging
Mission: conserve the
packaging and find
another way to use it
Creating a new shelf life for
the package or left over
product
Mission: learn how to do it
Share with the rest your
creative solution
Mission: to get more and
more people to do it
Example: all the things we
already do
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_What is a circular culture
+ =
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05
Introduction to
Circular Economy

_What is linear economy
Source: Thibaut Wautelet
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_Circular Economy
Source: HI4CSR
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_What does CE solve?
Waste issue
Toxin release
Dependence on finite
resources
Import challenges
Land use
Air pollution
Unethical production methods
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06
Local examples

_Examples of CE organizations in Lebanon
Plastic
Organic waste
Textile
Plastic, organic waste,
transparent glass
Sorting waste
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_Examples of CE organizations in Lebanon
civil society organization
Medical waste collection
and recycling
Plastic, glass, electronic,
carton, waste collection,
sorting waste
Plastic, glass, carton, waste
collection, sorting waste
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07
What could be done

_On an individual level
Better understand your consumption
level, and measure what you consume
Be aware of the production chain that was
required to produce
Identify the day-to-day actions you take that
generate waste such as buying a single use coffee
cup and test if alternatives could work for you
(getting a reusable coffee mug that you can fill)
Measuring the financial differences that could
happen when you opt for a circular lifecycle
Think before throwing a product that you
don’t need anymore to see if you could give
it a circular life rather than a linear life
Say no to single-use products unless you really
must use it
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_On an entrepreneurial level
Understand the ecosystem in Lebanon and who
is working on what, to not reinvent the wheel /
duplicate work
Partner with other ecosystem players in the country to
generate a larger impact
Prototype your idea before starting to collect
waste, since it needs storage
Start small and aim at managing one specific
type of waste and not all types of waste at the
same time as each has its specific pre recycling
and recycling process
Acknowledge that not many people understand the
importance of waste management and that it’s
encouraged to spend time in raising awareness and
showing the positive impact that it could have on the
environment and the country
Get inspired from ideas established in other countries
but take into account the local context and culture.
Share surveys and ask future clients/beneficiaries
what they think about your project
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A paper straw wrapped in single us
plastic!
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Next
event
Episode 2: July 15,
Refurbishing and upcycling
Nourhane Mokahal
Project Manager at makesense

Thank you!
Maya Wakim
Community Developer at makesense
Lebanon and MENA
maya@makesense.org