EcoMENA https://www.ecomena.org Echoing Sustainability and Conservation Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:19:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.ecomena.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/cropped-Eco-MENA-Image.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 EcoMENA https://www.ecomena.org 32 32 39002183 noEchoing Sustainability and Conservation The Hidden Cost of Office Paper Waste: Why Businesses Are Printing Money Down the Drain https://www.ecomena.org/the-hidden-cost-of-office-paper-waste-why-businesses-are-printing-money-down-the-drain/ https://www.ecomena.org/the-hidden-cost-of-office-paper-waste-why-businesses-are-printing-money-down-the-drain/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:53:24 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=15351 Paper accounts for approximately 70% of total office waste, yet the financial cost of that waste rarely features in sustainability conversations. New analysis by plantable paper specialists SeedPrint puts a number on it: with half of all printed documents discarded within 24 hours and 30% never collected from printers at all, US businesses alone are spending an estimated $32.5 billion every year on paper that serves no purpose. The findings are drawn from EPA waste statistics and industry employment data. Each US office worker is responsible for generating around 323 pounds of paper waste annually from their employer’s operations. The … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/the-hidden-cost-of-office-paper-waste-why-businesses-are-printing-money-down-the-drain/feed/ 0 15351 Methane Emissions from Anaerobic Degradation of Organic Matter and Mitigation through Flaring https://www.ecomena.org/methane-emissions-from-anaerobic-degradation-of-organic-matter-and-mitigation-through-flaring/ https://www.ecomena.org/methane-emissions-from-anaerobic-degradation-of-organic-matter-and-mitigation-through-flaring/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:14:48 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=15344 Methane (CH₄) is a key product of the anaerobic degradation of organic waste and represents one of the most critical environmental challenges associated with waste management systems, particularly landfills and controlled disposal sites. The formation, emission, and mitigation of methane from such systems have been extensively studied due to its high global warming potential and its significant contribution to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This work provides a comprehensive discussion of methane generation through anaerobic degradation processes and evaluates mitigation strategies, with a particular focus on flaring, which converts methane into carbon dioxide (CO₂), thereby reducing its climate impact. The biodegradation … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/methane-emissions-from-anaerobic-degradation-of-organic-matter-and-mitigation-through-flaring/feed/ 0 15344 Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus in MENA: Role of Startups and Entrepreneurship https://www.ecomena.org/water-food-energy-ecosystems-nexus-in-mena-role-of-startups-and-entrepreneurship/ https://www.ecomena.org/water-food-energy-ecosystems-nexus-in-mena-role-of-startups-and-entrepreneurship/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:25:16 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=15331 The MENA region stands at the intersection of some of the most acute resource challenges globally. Water scarcity, energy dependency, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation are not isolated crises; they are deeply interconnected, reinforcing one another in complex and often unpredictable ways. The Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus has emerged as a conceptual and operational framework to address these interdependencies, promoting integrated resource management and cross-sectoral coordination. Yet, despite its conceptual maturity and policy recognition, the WEFE Nexus in MENA remains largely under-implemented. The missing link is not knowledge, nor policy ambition, it is execution. Increasingly, startups and entrepreneurship are emerging as … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/water-food-energy-ecosystems-nexus-in-mena-role-of-startups-and-entrepreneurship/feed/ 0 15331 Going Green to Save Money: The ROI of Green Homes https://www.ecomena.org/roi-of-green-homes/ https://www.ecomena.org/roi-of-green-homes/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:55:30 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=7376 For many reasons, green homes are more and more popular, yet eco-friendliness can be a complex topic in the housing market. Of course, the reasons are simple enough: green homes have a smaller footprint through sustainable materials and energy efficiency, so are better for our damaged environment; going green lowers energy costs over time; and going green can increase a home’s market value, bringing Return on Investment to sellers. Yet achieving the ROI of an eco-friendly home can be complicated, because it depends on a number of factors, including location, the age of the home, and how soon the owner … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/roi-of-green-homes/feed/ 2 7376 Plastic Waste Management in UAE https://www.ecomena.org/plastic-uae/ https://www.ecomena.org/plastic-uae/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:48:30 +0000 http://www.ecomena.org/?p=2735 Plastics are an inseparable part of modern society. However, their safe disposal is a big and highly challenging issue. A typical UAE resident uses 450 plastic water bottles on an average in a single year1. With the equivalent of 43 gallons on an average per person in 2011, the United Arab Emirates had the fourth-highest level of bottled water consumption in the world. A whopping 11 billion plastic bags are used annually, according to statistics from UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water. This goes on to add up to an annual overall waste of 912.5 kilogram per capita2, 3, and 4. These … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/plastic-uae/feed/ 19 2735 نصائح لتحسين نوعية الهواء داخل المباني https://www.ecomena.org/indoor-air-ar/ https://www.ecomena.org/indoor-air-ar/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:38:30 +0000 http://www.ecomena.org/?p=3861 يعتبر تلوث  الهواء الداخلي  واحد من أهم المخاطر البيئية على الصحة العامة في جميع أنحاء العالم ,نظرا لتزايد  عدد من الأمراض المرتبطة  بنوعية  الهواء  داخل  المبنى . وقد وجدت الدراسات أن تركيز الملوثات في الأماكن المغلقة الداخلية   أعلى بكثير مما هي عليه في البيئة الخارجية ، تتراوح  الزيادة  من  مرتين إلي خمس مرات ، وأحيانا مائة مرة أعلى من مستوي  الملوثات في الهواءالطلق. وبما  ان معظم الناس يقضون  80٪ إلى 90٪ من حياتهم في الأماكن المغلقة ، فان  نوعية الهواء الداخلي له اأثر جوهري على الصحة العامة. انخفاض جودة الهواء في الأماكن المغلقة يمكن أن يؤثرعلى نوعية الحيا ة  لشاغل … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/indoor-air-ar/feed/ 1 3861 Kia and The Waste Lab Partner to Raise Awareness on the Reality of Food Waste https://www.ecomena.org/kia-raise-awareness-on-reality-of-food-waste/ https://www.ecomena.org/kia-raise-awareness-on-reality-of-food-waste/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:24:30 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=10914 Kia Corporation partnered with Dubai-based start-up, The Waste Lab, and launched a three-stage GCC based campaign whilst transforming food waste into healthy compost. The partnership, commenced at the start of Ramadan, nudging consumers to rethink their practices and mindset around food wastage. The Waste Lab is a women-led, impact-driven startup based in the UAE, with a mission to reduce and repurpose food waste. Kia has always been an advocate of sustainable mobility solutions. In line with their vision of creating a positive impact on the environment, Kia is facilitating The Waste Lab as part of the collaboration with the Kia … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/kia-raise-awareness-on-reality-of-food-waste/feed/ 0 10914 Eco-Friendly Pet Ownership – Top Tips to Follow https://www.ecomena.org/guide-eco-friendly-pet-owner/ https://www.ecomena.org/guide-eco-friendly-pet-owner/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:16:30 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=7369 This planet is all we have and, unless we start properly looking after it, we can lose everything from ecosystems to all resources, including our most precious – freshwater. However, selective recycling isn’t the only way to reduce pollution and help the planet. Owning a pet is a great responsibility but also a challenge since most of their accessories and food are made of plastic or packed in it. As one of the most vocal advocates of sustainability in the Middle East, EcoMENA pleads for a more responsible life and wishes to share some easy tips on how to look … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/guide-eco-friendly-pet-owner/feed/ 1 7369 New and Larger Wave of Locusts Threaten East Africa and Beyond https://www.ecomena.org/locusts-threaten-east-africa-and-beyond/ https://www.ecomena.org/locusts-threaten-east-africa-and-beyond/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:07:30 +0000 https://www.ecomena.org/?p=7359 Before the current pandemic that the world is battling, East Africa and neighbouring regions of the globe experienced the biggest locust infestation in the past 70 years. That event was devastating. Then the Covid-19 pandemic started to move across the globe. And just as a viral plague can resurface if adequate measures are not taken and sustained for a long enough period of time to interrupt the spread of the virus, the locusts have returned. The locust plague has reappeared in East Africa and is said to be 20 times the strength of the earlier infestations. The Fight for Food … Continue reading →

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]]> https://www.ecomena.org/locusts-threaten-east-africa-and-beyond/feed/ 2 7359 نصائح لتقليل النفايات الغذائية https://www.ecomena.org/food-waste-ar/ https://www.ecomena.org/food-waste-ar/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:04:30 +0000 http://www.ecomena.org/?p=4728 تبذير الطعام له آثار بيئية واقتصادية وكذلك الاجتماعية.  ارتفاع نصيب الفرد من الدخل والإنفاق، ومستويات المعيشة، القدرة على تحمل التكاليف و اللامبالاة تجاه الطعام كلها عوامل لها تأثير سلبي كبير على مواردنا المحدودة. في مراكز التسوق والمطاعم على سبيل المثال ، من الشائع أن نرى كميات متراكمة من الطعام غير المستهلك كليا أو جزئيا. للأسف، الرفاهية تؤدي إلى تفشي  توليد النفايات الغذائية في جميع أنحاء الشرق الأوسط، وخاصة دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي. خطورة الوضع يمكن قياسها من كون أن أكثر من 300 طن من النفايات الغذائية يتم توليدها يوميا  في البحرين وهذا يشكل حوالي 11٪ من إجمالي  نفايات البلدية . … Continue reading →

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