Tunis: In a new space nestled in the heart of the Medina of Tunis, coffee packets become handbags and used containers made of cardboard, paper, or plastic are transformed into pen pots, pencil cases, or wallets. Behind these reimagined objects, a clear ambition emerges: to make the circular economy a concrete lever for waste reduction and economic integration.
According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, the Medina Store, launched by the environmental NGO "Tunisie Recyclage," opened in mid-April at Souk El Bey. The store offers upcycled creations - a practice that involves transforming used materials into products with higher added value, without resorting to industrial destruction. Supported by Tunisie Recyclage with the backing of the Canadian Local Initiatives Fund (CLIF), the project aims to be simultaneously a commercial space, an ecological laboratory, and a tool for raising awareness of the "zero waste" concept.
"Our goal is to show that waste can be beautiful and useful. We want to encourage more responsible consumption while creating new economic opportunities," NGO President Houssem Hamdi explained to the media. The store brings together creations designed from recycled materials, second-hand items, and sustainable resources. Several local artisans and brands display their products there. Beyond selling objects, the project is part of a broader approach to promoting the "3Rs": Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Nearly 200 families, four schools, and around 50 merchants in the Medina are already participating in actions to reduce plastic waste and implement selective sorting, according to Tunisie Recyclage. "In Tunisia, household waste consists of nearly 70% organic matter, 25% recyclable materials, and only 5% non-recyclable waste. Without upstream sorting, there can be no effective recycling," Hamdi pointed out. Built around a network of volunteers and five permanent staff members in charge notably of sorting and collection, the NGO also provides a service for collecting recyclable waste from households and businesses.
Since 2018, it has developed a scheme connecting individuals, shops, and companies wishing to recover their waste. 'We now need to adapt the legislation to further encourage the recycling of materials, particularly those that remain economically unviable,' the official underlined. In the workshops of the Medina, recovered materials are already being given a new lease of life thanks to the work of local artisans. The project is still in its experimental phase but has already created a dynamic between waste collection and sorting operators and creative artisans, according to the organisation.
Through this initiative, Tunisie Recyclage hopes to show that the circular economy is capable of transcending the realm of activism to become a model for local economic development, combining creativity, waste reduction, and sustainable jobs. The shop thus aims to make the Medina a space where artisanal heritage and the green transition converge. For the project's promoters and their partners, the ambition goes beyond simply eco-friendly craftsmanship. The goal is to embed a 'zero-waste' culture sustainably within consumption patterns in Tunisia, at a time when the accumulation of waste in the natural environment and urban spaces remains a major environmental challenge, while the recycling of household waste is virtually non-existent.