Looking for people who wish to help in my "clean up Jordan" campaign

I am sorry to say that this problem is not easy to solve. Not only does the government does not see a real problem in this, but they also lack the funds to create a better sanitation program.I feel living in Amman, that it is much cleaner than other cities in the kingdom. I almost always spot a person cleaning the street on my way to school, and the  garbage trucks seem to come every day to pick up the trash. Though the problem is still present. When we talk about Jordan, we are not only talking about West Amman, we need to speak for the whole country. I have recently joined am organization called Don't Mess with Nature, and have already once went with them to a clean up Jerash campaign. We hoped to raise awareness, and to show people that it was important, and that you show your true love for your country when you keep it clean. It was a big success, with a few articles in the local newspapers and magazines, and on BBC News International! We were even granted some money from the government, in order to keep working. Their website:
http://dontmesswithnature.ning.com/

You could try to write to the King/Queen, I have heard that it is possible. You could write an article for the Jordan Times (English version), but it would take money. I try to recycle most of our water bottles, cans, and paper, but sometimes I really doubt they get recycled. well, expect for the paper, because I have seen the paper recycling place with my own eyes, and many people seem to be dropping off those brown boxes. Maybe in a few years time things will change, but of course it all starts from the home. The way children are educated by their parents. I seriously cannot allow myself to throw anything on the floor, I start feeling extremely dirty, and guilty. I usually keep anything that needs throwing out in pocket, until a see a trash can.

Again, thank you for the information!!
I had a feeling money was an issue...that's why I was hoping that by passing litering laws, somehow the people could be held responsible...and of course, this includes raising awareness.
We have cleaned up my father-in-laws backyard soooo many times, only to return a week later and have it covered in trash again...so it will take perhaps a decade before people really get with the program, however, I'm hoping Jordan might ride the wave of "green consciousness" rapidly spreading around the globe.
I am glad to here you do as I, and just pocket the trash until you find a trash can...which is one thing they need in the villages...how can you expect people to throw away the trash if there is nowhere to throw it
You know, San Franscisco put a ban on plastic bags...there everyone brings their own cloth bags. It took a few years to actually get to the full ban and get people used to the idea, but it seems like it'd be a great way to help with the problem here...as 80% of the trash I see are plastic bags.
I've noticed many women in Jordan sew...perhaps they could start sewing bags and generate income from the sales. People in SF and all over the west coast of the US do the cloth bag thing...now they are for sale everywhere for $1-$3 a piece,depending on where you buy them...they are actually quite trendy now and many people put cool designs on them...I can just picture it now, Jordanian bags with that beautiful embroidery on them or on the straps...

In Russia, and Ukraine, and former Soviet countries in general, most people choose to buy their veggies, and fruits from the farmers' market. Usually there is always a section dedicated to just groceries, and stuff like that. None of the places you go give you a plastic bag, you have to buy one in advance, and it would be a pretty expensive thing to do if you keep buying and throwing out, so we just started keeping plastic bags at home in order to use them once again if we go to the market.

It is actually illegal to throw anything into the sea in Aqaba, let's hope that it will soon become a law in the whole kingdom. In Dibeen, when going into the forest, you are always offered a number of green bags on the entrance. They tell us that we do not even have to take the trash with us, just no throwing on the floor. Keep all the trash in the bag, and they will later walk through the forest, and collect them. Our school seems to be trying to educate us about littering all the time, and I seriously get furious if one of my friends throws their trash on the floor, and they have slowly learnt that it is not cool to throw on the ground.

you know not to long ago someone sent a pic. of all the trash in ajloun to the minster of enviornment facebook page (whomever is in charge...his facebook page) and there was a lot of heat that was stirred up you could do something similar to light some fire under them. send it to the ministers of public health and the enviornmental police, the king and queen and whomever else you can send it to.

but there is one thing that i have always noticed about jordan. yes it is beautiful but it is a country of hard people. many people who live here come from Palestine, Iraq and other war torn areas and they have much more on there mind than cleaning up. it is not something that just the government can fix over night. it has to start in the homes. it is great that you are dooing this but make it start at home with the in-laws. that is what i did when i was in irbid. my brother-in-law dumped paper out on the street and i made him go clean it up, he did reluctantly but i made my point clear. i set up recycling bins in our home where his family now puts all there paper in, we also take our used plastic bags back to the store and re-use them. they see this and become inspired. it is a start.

people will notice you dooing stuff like this and they will follow, but make it start with the family.

one more thing your proplosal about women sewing is a great idea to present to the RSCN. rscn.org.jo/

they already have hand made items they sell as a womens co-op it would be great to have them take it a step further!

Good luck in your endeavors to clean up Jordan!

Hi Everyone...my apologies for not following up on this topic...I guess the expat-blog emails were going into my trash!! I just found Dove's post and see I've missed a lot!

So my update is...you're right everyone...it is definatly DIFFICULT to make change in this country. When I first arrived in 2009, I was full of optimism..now it is reality...the majority of the citizens don't care and don't even notice the trash...

Now this doesn't mean I have given up...I really appreciate all the suggestions..especially the one to facebook the ministry from Katie...I will!! I have been taking pictures...I've got some really good ones of the trash in front of the kids schools... so maybe we can pull together here and snap some pictures around where we live of the trash everywhere..or at monuments and ancients sites...etc...anywhere that will make an impact..and then we can choose a month (Perhaps next...in September...) and just post a picture every day for 30 days..with simple (but the same) slogan...like citizens for a clean jordan...or something...clean up jordan.. or whatever!!What'da ya think? Who's in???????

you cant clean up Jordan, its useless . few months ago i went to 2nd circle in jabal amman for some shawerma dinner theres this famous old shawerma restaurant place there and the owner hires a guy that collects the garbage the customers throw after they eat their sandwiches!!! imagine that,, theres a trashcan infront of the place still they prefer to mess up the place and throw pepsicans and paper raps on the ground every where !! i guess they feel more at home that way.
by the way this happens every night . its funny sad and disgusting, all at the same time.

yes imadunno...i have seen it everywhere ...have you been to Aqaba??? It is so sad to see all the cigareetes and broken glass...i was scared for my kids! There were even boards with nails floating on shore! I was speaking with a beach ranger and he said he just has no way of enforcing the law..there are now trashcans everywhere and still people just leave it behind. He had actually asked me to help him by talking to someone about being able to ticket people. I would still like to help. Maybe some of you do too..if we all do a little something...as simple making a post somewhere we can really create some awareness.


If we did something about this like my suggestions with the photos or this other one with videos we can ask for citations to be enforced as one of the first steps that we ask from the ministry...

the money from the tickets would pay salaries (creating jobs here) and would bring in money for putting up more trash facilities or who knows....RECYCLING   oooo, now that is really visualizing! .....so here's the video idea..(BTW: I actually have a couple more if anyone is really interested)

???   Would it be haram to record people throwing their trash down on the earth when there's a trash car nearby...and play them on youtube...with the slogan..."BUSTED!! WE CAUGHT YOU!" or title it "LOCAL LITTERBUGS"...
It could be done in a light-hearted way perhaps..or funny...the idea is to raise awareness...that's it,,,grab their attention... ..if enough people heard about it then maybe they'd stop doing it to avoid being on youtube...

maybe we could put stickers around informing the public that "if you're gonna litter...the world is gonna know about it."

In addition, there should be people who do use the trash can praised as well!

I know this sounds kinda like a tv show...I have mentioned this idea to some film students in Aqaba at RSICA hoping they take the idea and run with it, but no such luck.

However, as I am thinking about all this...really anyone who wants can participate..all they'd do is upload it to youtube...it COULD grow fast..what'd ya think?

i think we lack the misunderstanding of peoples nature here as they never care upon each other which builds negative concepts all around , we dont respect each other ....and the main thing people whos in charge dont do anything at all...the control over people here is even impossible ...people lack how to trat others ... i think ur idea will be much valuable if we begin the campaign in Schools cause kids could be a great influence on their parents we need our generation to be more aware of earth problems ...and not just to make it beautiful but to teach them the logic behind ..to make them creative in buildinng more solutions and to be able to impose such subjects in schools not therotical classes instead get them to be active in taking part in the society...there is alot of youth wholife is just empty and not used ....u can see alot of nice signs please dont litter....but people if they dont litter they cant find themselves eating ....well spreading the idea is not bad ...we all here frustrated of people who dont care to clean after themselves....

Yes...Dove...I agree...I do the same thing..but it doesn't change. I don't know how many times we've picked up the yard (with everyone's help)...and then come back a day later and it's trashed...we finally gave up...unless we plan on spending time there then we'll do it again for the kids...

The lighter situation is pretty much the same...the young boy will only buy another one, because it is ok with the adults ...otherwise his mother would've taken it away...and how can you permanently stop him and convince him it's wrong when ALL the children have lighters??? And then you've got the shop owners who sell them to kids!!!My 2 year nephew has TWO in his pockets at all times and everyone thinks it is so cute!!

I too get the same response from the kids in my family..I'm the "fun auntie"...I am sure that we are making small strides with the kids...just keep it going and pray for the best...at least we are doing SOMETHING!!! Even if it impacts one child in one area of life..it's all worth it

In response to Sue...yes I AGREE!!! I actually have been working on the school campaign..even got a character/spokesman for the campaign...a purple camel...he's cool... I have written a letter to Queen Rania with my propositions...as well as to Madrassatti and a handful of other organizations that I thought might be interested in the littering program and also about beautifying the schools...no one cares...no one even writes me back!!!

I have finally realized that if I want something done I'm gonna have to do it without the support of the government or the schools etc...because they just don't care! I have begun to wonder if they are "Phoney" organizations. Many I have noticed were set up in 2007...the info on them is dated back then...it's 5 years later..and no one has posted?? I email and no one replies...there needs to be an investigation of all of this stuff just like you were saying Sue. Seems a bit fishy to me. We all know there is corruption...if the money is donated..it goes into the pockets of those at the top!! This is nothing new unfortunately...this is one of the reasons for all the bloodshed around us. That is definitely not what I want!! But I do pray for those who are brave enough to take a stand in this manner.

This is why I continually take time to contribute to posts like this in hope that I will connect with those who DO CARE and who WILL ACT upon it. I have so many ideas as many of you do...most westerners notice the same things and want to make the same changes...

For example: It would be soooo cheap to add some life to the jails...I mean schools (joke..that's what I thought they were when I first saw them)...like recycled art murals and furniture to sit on. I was looking at the school next to us and there is not ONE table to sit and eat lunch at..there are no nets for the soccer goals, no shade, no lines on the concrete for games like four square etc....there is no grass... NOTHING but dirt and trash!!!..I've tried to get my husband on board..but no go...if only I were back home in my community of artists and musicians...they were real gung-ho for these kind things..and frankly...it's just too much work to do it alone...I'm a teamwork kinda gal...if any of you are seriously interested in tackling one of the many things that bother you...let's get together and DO IT!! I would love a reason to wake up in the morning other than to feed my kids and clean the house...I'm so bored from being inside...is there anybody out there living in Irbid or nearby that wants to do any of these things?

Note to self...
“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”

Almost 10 years ago when I visit Jordan for the first time I was shocked by the enormous garbage everywhere.
But now I see that the people do care: there is less garbage then 10 years ago. Can you imagine that??? Unfortunately it is not goining fast as we want it to. It takes a lot of time and have in mind that the old city of Rome wasn't build in one day either

At the school where my childeren go to they talk about this problem but the kids don't care. Maybe its not cool enough or the lessons are killing boring.

I think that the shops and the big malls are even responsible for this problem. In the first beginning I brought my own hugh shoppingbag with me but the policy of the stores prevent me from doining that. You have to deposit it at the servicecounter and when you are done you get it back.
But then you have a lots of plastic bags with you.
So lets start to make the suggestion that you put your grocery in less plastic bags as possible. Instead of 10 or more bags just juse 5 of less. And tell the boy behind the pay desk or his second hand that you don't want or need all these bags.
I juse these bags as a garbage bag at my home and when a have a pile of these I give it away to my inlaws, they juse it for the same.
In our car we have always a handfull of bags, one we put it on the gear stick. When it is full we trow it in the garbagecontainer. It is very handy. And when people ask us why we do that we explain it and they find us very smart:D

I always say: if you want to change the world, start with yourself!!!

When I made the decision to move to Jordan I made a list with things what I can do to make a difference.
One of them was the garbage.
So Peacelovelight: I want to join in!!!

Well this great news Primadonna!!! I 100% agree with you..I actually do the same!! But it is still bad that we have to put our garbage in plastic...(looking for the day when biodegradable plastic is the norm...hemp can be used for this..) can you imagine having a hemp plant in Jordan to make trash bags and material for our cloth shopping bags we could sell?? Ha Ha...and we could sell the buds from the plants to Europe for medicinal use ....
I would love to get something regarding the environment together..what ever it is!!! I am busy until after the beginning of next month...we should start another post about this to see who wants to contribute.......very exciting!! PS to anyone reading this immediately...there is an awesome meteor shower tonite and tomorrow night!! Check it out and let's make some wishes!!!

We have regular clean-up dive campaigns in aqaba to clean beaches an reefs , cause when people come to aqaba think it's easier to throw their garbiges in the sea and on the shore than bins and it's right places ! Anyway im sorry to say we can't cope with them unless we dive 24/7 after every long vacation !