Tadwir (تدوير) AKA the Palestine Recycling Initiative is a grassroots program under development with a mission to create a self-sustainable recycling practice in the greater Bethlehem area and eventually throughout the West Bank. As there are several different types of recycling for various materials, we decided to start with recycling glass as we have concluded it is the most viable starting mate
rial for our project. Glass can be recycled infinitely and when it is, it saves over 30% of the energy cost to make new glass. It also drastically cuts down carbon emissions while preventing the build up of raw materials in landfills, which glass would take over a million years to fully decompose. Our project is divided into two main logistical categories: collection, and the recycling process itself. Collection of our recycled materials, glass in this case, requires the combined efforts of institutions such as the Palestine Natural History Museum, Bethlehem Study Center, Bethlehem University, and various restaurants in the area who will inevitably have a large supply of glass that would otherwise be thrown out with the rest of their trash waste. We hope to acquire funds that will also cover the cost of bins that we will place around the city in designated pickup locations. We will be in contact with the local municipalities of Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, and Bethlehem to work on the logistics of collecting from these bins to our recycling facility. We plan to propose pilot testing programs for each municipality to find a model that works best which we can then spread to other municipalities in the West Bank. The recycling process (or what we will do with the recycled materials) takes many forms in which we hope to expand and continue to experiment with the endless possibilities of how an eco-friendly substance like glass can be re-used. So far we are exploring the options of making countertops/tables with the glass, mulch for gardens and farms alike, artisanal crafts and souvenirs, and exporting the glass itself to be used as an aggregate in construction materials like asphalt, concrete, and insulation. Each of these options uses a substantial volume of glass, which ensures that we will always have someway to recycle the growing amount of glass supply. Our short-term goals are to secure enough funds through crowdfunding and grants that will allow us the initial investment money needed to buy the machines that can recycle glass by crushing and melting it, their supporting materials and supplies, as well as securing a workshop in which we can use these machines. We will operate under the direction of our dedicated volunteers until we can generate enough money on our own to employ them, and ideally create employment for others in the community as well. Our long term vision is to expand our business into recycling other materials as well with other machines designed for their respective material purposes. We hope along the way we can not only create a greener mindset for responsible waste disposal in the West Bank, thus reducing the amount that goes into landfills, but also help instill a sense of economic self-reliability that will help instill a sense of self-determination and independence which aligns with the goals of the BDS movement. We also envision ourselves working closely with the museum to develop and publish research in the field of recycling and sustainability using the funds we plan to set aside for research and development. We hope that the publicity following these accomplishments will also help the international image of Palestine in a way that can create all sorts of collateral benefits for the area politically and be a wise step forward for the entire community.
