Environmental Center Leads Amal Waste-Free Schools Initiative

The program, based on the “Waste-Free Schools” initiative launched by Bishop Dr. Sani Ibrahim Azar in the fall of 2019, aims to help schools eliminate plastic use, promote healthy cafeterias, and produce organic fertilizers through compost.

 

The agreement was signed by Beit Sahour Mayor Dr. Elias Iseed, EEC Director Simon Awad, and school principals Mr. Salim Jaber of the Evangelical Lutheran School, Mrs. Susan Estephan of the Greek Catholic School, Mr. Anton Jarasieh of the Latin Patriarchate School, and Mr. Khader Bannoura of the Orthodox School. Also in attendance were Mr. George Saadeh, Dr. Fouad Salman, and teachers Rogeece Qumsieh, Hiba Bannoura, Jessica Saad, and Nariman Al-Shaer, plus student environmental leaders from the participating schools.

The agreement includes reducing, separating, and recycling waste as a key part of achieving sustainable and environmentally friendly schools. The EEC distributed containers to the schools to help sort paper, cardboard, electronics and glass for recycling, and included separate compost bins.

 

The "Amal" project, meaning "Hope," follows the four "R" principles, and focuses on seven goals developed by the EEC in 2025 to reach waste-free schools. These include "We Reject" productes that generate waste, "We Reduce" waste production by not purchasing unnecessary goods, "We Recycle," "We Repair" items to keep them out of landfills, "We Reuse" items for new functions, "We Adopt" a sustainable way of life, and "We Think" about how to make all our decisions environmentally friendly.