Similar to the previous sectors, an introductory meeting, or the so called Initial Seminar, was organized to which all the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) under the Plastic Production and Recycling Sector were invited and introduced to the concept and methodologies of CP. After the meeting the different enterprises were evaluated according to preset criteria and five SME’s were selected to undertake the in-plant assessments. Each in-plant assessment entails several site visits alternating with two workshops.
The initial seminar is the first step in the In-plant Demonstration phase in Industrial sub-sector of Plastic Production and Recycling which targeted the managers and owners of SME’s under this sub-sector. It took place on the 1st of March 2007 at the IRI premises.
The keynote speakers in the seminar were the Director of the LCPC – Dr. Ali Yaacoub, the former President of the Syndicate of Plastic Production and Recycling Industries – Mr. Jean A. Naoum, the Austrian Consular – Mr. Gerhard Lutz representing the Austrian Ambassador, and the Administrative and Financial Director at the IRI – Mr. Salim Kfoury representing the IRI General Director.
Dr. Yaacoub gave a speech where he highlighted the importance of developing the industrial sector in Lebanon under the changing inter-national economic circumstances from one side, the latest Israeli attack on Lebanon and all the assassinations and explosions that followed on the other side. He called for the revival of the Lebanese Industry through improving its quality and developing its processes. Dr. Yaacoub stressed that this could be accomplished through the application of Cleaner Production Processes known internationally in order to be better equipped in the face of the challenges of international conventions and better exports.
Mr. Sélim Kfoury representing the IRI General Director, Dr. Bassam Frenn, stressed on the importance of the LCPC for the industrial sector in Lebanon as well as the success attained through its cooperation with the IRI in order to develop and sustain this sector. He hoped that the coming cooperation between the LCPC and the Plastic Production and Recycling sector would be fruitful and beneficial as it was with the previous sectors that applied CP process in their factories.
Ms. Carine Elya, LCPC Deputy Director, introduced the center, its mission, vision and objectives. She also reflected the successes achieved by the LCPC in all previously selected sectors by presenting several case studies for Lebanese SME's.
During the seminar, it was declared that the center, through UNIDO and along with the assistance of the consultant company STENUM, would choose 4 to 5 SME's among the attending ones in order to improve them and assist them for free to introduce cleaner production in their factories. However at the end, LCPC annual Report 2006 along with the LCPC CD Rom were distributed to all the participants in the seminar.
OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR:
- Gather all SME's working in the Industrial sub-sector of Plastic Production and Recycling in Lebanon
- Introduce the Cleaner Production Concept and spread the word about LCPC among all SME's in the mentioned industrial sub- sector
- Share the success achieved by the LCPC in the three sub- sectors of Agrofood Canning, Dairy, and Paper and Cardboard
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