Repurposing Lebanon’s litter into eco-friendly treasures

Margot Wehbe, a 22-year-old university student, founded her startup UWYTA, which collects non-recyclable potato chip bags that litter the country’s landscape. UWYTA upcycles them into brand new products and raises awareness of the importance of effective waste management and sustainable economic development in Lebanon.

Growing up in Lebanon, Margot had always been concerned about the climate crisis and was dedicated to finding solutions to the waste management problem her country experiences. Lebanon’s ongoing issues with ineffective waste management see trash periodically piling up on the streets and beaches or ending up in hazardous landfills to be burned. Moreover, as the country has been consumed by the effects of a severe economic crisis and of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue has been further neglected.

In 2022, Margot decided it was time to take action on these challenges and founded her startup, UWYTA, using a circular economy model.

Reviving wrappers for environmental awareness 

Margot’s startup explores the infinite possibilities of upcycling, particularly engaging children and young people. UWYTA repurposes non-recyclable wrappers into trendy new products, such as aprons, tote bags and notebooks. Predominantly using old potato chips bags, they have also expanded their raw materials to a wider range of discarded litter, such as cereal boxes and instant coffee wrappers.

Once the wrappers have been collected, they are sorted according to their colour, size and usability. They are then cleaned and sent to UWYTA’s skilled tailors, who transform these wrappers into eco-friendly treasures.

Recently, Margot participated in SPARK’s From Innovation to Creation programme funded by the European Union, in collaboration with The Nawaya Network, which supports pioneering entrepreneurs to lead the transition to a greener, more sustainable future.

The training and coaching support Margot received has improved her green skills and boosted her confidence as a young entrepreneur in many areas, including financial management, digital marketing and export strategies. She also received funding, enabling her to acquire new machinery, such as fans and washing machines, which have significantly increased the speed of the production process.

Since UWYTA’s foundation, Margot has given numerous talks in schools and universities, to raise awareness about the possibilities of upcycling and to inspire fellow youth to ‘go green’. Indeed, Margot believes that: “Even if it seems that the world is already full of green businesses, it is not the case. There is room for many more.”