Jordan, April 22nd, 2021- MEDA and Karak Star, a local paper recycling business, have announced the opening of a plastic waste recycling (Pyrolysis) plant in Jordan at a ribbon cutting ceremony today. Through the financial support of MEDA and Global Affairs Canada, this plant will convert 1,700 tons of plastic waste into 1,300 metric tons of synthetic fuel per year. As a result, the plant will create hundreds of jobs for women, youth, and other people in the recycling industry of Jordan, a country that has been devastated by the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Representatives from the Governments of Jordan and Canada, MEDA, Karak Star, and the Ghour Al Haditha Ladies Charity Association attended the ceremony today. Included among these representatives were: Jordan’s Minister of Environment, H.E. Dr. Nabil Masarweh, the Ambassador of Canada in Jordan, H.E. Donica Pottie, The Governor of Karak, H.E. Bilal Al Nsour, and the founders of Karak Star, Dr. Akram Madanat and Dr. Basel Burgan.
The economic and environmental benefits from this plant are significant: The Karak Star plant will create jobs for hundreds of women and youth through MEDA’s Jordan Valley Links project and its partner organizations in the Jordan Valley. Additional benefits include creating work for agricultural workers and farmers who supply the plant with plastic mulch and earning additional revenue from producing and selling charcoal residue to cement and steel factories. The fuel from the plant will then be used to power the Karak Star factory and neighbouring businesses of the Al Hussein Industrial Estate in Karak, diverting waste from landfills and other facilities.
The Ambassador of Canada in Jordan, H.E. Donica Pottie appraised this initiative and said “Our hope is that this project will contribute to more sustainable economic growth through increasing the productivity and sustainability of businesses, based on realistic market potential to fill value chain gaps”.
For his part, H.E. Dr. Masarweh expressed his appreciation of Canada and MEDA’s support for this project and emphasised its importance in protecting the country’s environment through providing a solution to the agricultural plastic waste challenge. He also pledged the Ministry of Environment’s support to the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that are working on this project.
MEDA Jordan’s Country Director, Helal- Ahsan-Ul-Haque, emphasizes the positive difference that this recycling plant will play in alleviating poverty while contributing to a better environment.
