BeitakBaytak campaign raises awareness on solid waste management in Jordan

AMMAN — Oxfam in Jordan has launched the BeitakBaytak (Your Environment, Your Home) campaign aiming at increasing awareness and knowledge on Jordan’s solid waste management challenges and promoting sustainable behaviour and practices in the country.

The campaign highlights key challenges and associated consequences of unsustainable waste management practices, including public littering of waste, high rates of waste generation and disposal, and lack of recycling efforts, a statement to The Jordan Times said.

"Scenes of littering in public areas and high rates of waste generation from households negatively impacts water resources and air quality, contributing to poor environmental and public health. Public littering and negligent waste disposal practices are common practices across Jordan. With COVID-19, scenes of littering of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) such as masks and gloves are also becoming more evident. This not only exacerbates existing issues but also poses risks of transferring infection to others," the statement said.

“Positive individual behaviour and practices could lead to a collective effort in bringing upon positive behaviour change, especially in the efforts to preserve the beauty and cleanliness of our surroundings.

That is an indication of awareness and sense of ownership over our natural areas and is reflected in the creation of a generation that is committed to bring upon positive environmental change in Jordan," Haitham Adaileh, technical adviser to minister of environment, said in the statement. 

A recent study conducted by Oxfam has outlined that the waste management sector is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Jordan, accounting for seven per cent of GHG emissions in Jordan and causing an increase in average temperatures.

"Around 90 per cent of the GHGs generated from the waste sector are an outcome of the disposal of household solid waste. With climate change effects looming across the world, Jordan is no exception. Grappling with limited natural resources, Jordan is prone to detrimental effects of climate change which will put additional pressure on natural resources and on vulnerable communities across Jordan," Oxfam said.

“Without the buy-in and active participation of all, there won’t be any positive change in waste practices in Jordan”, Nivedita Monga, Oxfam in Jordan’s country director, said, adding: “As much as recycling services provided to the population need to be improved and scaled up, citizens need to play their part in spreading the word and adopting the right practices that will keep Jordan clean for future generations. All should be part of the collective solution to waste management challenges.”

In 2019, Oxfam in Jordan carried out the first country-wide survey on recycling and solid waste management practices in Jordan and uncovered key findings on the perceptions and behaviour of people across Jordan. Among the key findings of the study is that only 3.8% of people in Jordan recycle daily, outlining the need for more inclusive and sustainable recycling schemes across the country.

The study also outlined that people across Jordan are more likely to recycle if suitable infrastructure, incentives and information were made available to them. 

In the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Mafraq Governorate, Oxfam operates separation-at-source recycling schemes, involving extensive community engagement and mobilization.

"Households have been positively participating in a scheme that yields high-value recyclables that are returned to the local Jordanian market for re-processing and re-use, reducing pressure on local landfills. 

Oxfam in Jordan’s solid waste management programme is implemented under the umbrella of the “Waste to [positive] Energy” project funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the statement.