Commitment to the community has historically been at the core of the American University of Beirut Medical Center’s (AUBMC) values and work, beyond health care, to social and environmental reform. 2014 at AUBMC kicked off with a novel waste solution for Beirut with the installation of three reverse vending (ReVa) machines to recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans at different locations on the American University of Beirut (AUB) campus and the AUBMC cafeteria.
ReVa is an innovative recycling solution for the recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans in exchange for rewards. The machines provided by Servicorp, a sister company of Sukleen, have been offered as part of the cooperation agreement with AUB. ReVa machines will help raise the level of education about how individuals can reduce and recycle waste and help improve the recycling program at AUB.
The 3 ReVa machines were installed at the Ada Dodge Cafeteria, Charles Hostler Student Center and AUBMC cafeteria on January 17, 2014. The principle of the ReVa machine is based on the 3Rs principle: Recycle, Redeem, Reward. Staff members and students deposit their plastic and aluminum garbage (empty juice bottles, cans, soft drink bottles and water bottles) and receive coupons in return, with which they create an online account to use for rewards, ranging from water bottles to guest passes to all gym facilities. ReVa has become popular within the AUB and AUBMC community, as the number of recycled bottles and cans through it has reached more than 12,000 during the month of February 2014.
“AUB is the first institution of higher education to implement such an initiative in Lebanon and it has been working very well since we installed the machines,” says Farouk Al-Merhebi, director of the environmental health, safety and risk management department at AUB.
