Environment minister inaugurates EPR conference on waste management

AMMAN — Environment Minister Muawieh Radaideh on Tuesday inaugurated an international conference on waste management practices and policies on extended producer responsibility titled "Getting EPR to work".

The Ministry of Environment organised the event in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection; as well as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The conference discussed the Kingdom's waste management system following the implementation of the waste management framework law and related laws, and reviewed the expertise of participating countries, which include Germany, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Kenya and Belgium.

Radaideh said that the ministry is committed to instilling the concept of EPR by employing “cutting-edge” green technology and best waste management practices.

He noted that the implementation of EPR programmes in the packaging industry helps create investment opportunities in the waste management sector, and apply the circular economy concept intended to preserve resources and improve the environment and economy at the same time.

Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, said that hard work has contributed to the success of the EPR project in the packing sector, which constitutes the first step towards realising a circular and sustainable economy that can protect the environment and the sea from pollution and provide green jobs.

She added that the activation of the EPR system will contribute to attracting new investments and environmental technology such as efficient recycling systems.