A new environmental project titled “Sort Your Waste, Protect the Environment” has started in Erbil. Kurdistan Foundation launched the initiative in coordination with the Erbil Municipality. The project aims to build a recycling culture and reduce pollution.
350 recycling bins have been placed in central areas of the city. These bins are designed to separate recyclable waste from regular trash. Organizers hope the project will help residents reuse materials and protect the environment.
Karzan Hadi, Mayor of Erbil, said the project is an important step toward creating a cleaner and greener city. “These bins help people separate plastic, glass, and other recyclables from general waste,” he explained. “We want to reuse these materials instead of sending them to landfills.”
The mayor also discussed the damage caused by past practices. “Before, we buried plastic underground, which takes hundreds of years to break down,” he said. “Now, Kurdistan Foundation is helping to solve this long-term problem.”
The new bins are intended for recyclable materials only. Items like plastic bottles, glass containers, and other reusable waste should be placed in them. The goal is to stop mixing recyclables with general garbage so they can be processed easily.
This is just the start. In the coming months, officials plan to expand the project across all neighborhoods and streets in Erbil. They want sorting waste to become a regular part of daily life.