At REEF, hands-on workshops provide participants with practical skills to adopt sustainable practices and promote environmental stewardship in their communities. Covering topics such as composting, plastic recycling, upcycling, vertical farming, and permaculture, these sessions allow communities to make a tangible impact on their environment while discovering how they can benefit from these sustainable practices.
In 2021, REEF launched a composting workshop led by environmental and industrial engineer Ziad Abi Chaker in collaboration with the Lebanese Composters Group. The session explored composting in Lebanon and how communities and individuals can transform organic waste into “black gold”—a nutrient-rich resource for agriculture.
Before and during REEF Encounters 2022, a series of zero-waste training sessions took place in Kobayat – Akkar under the guidance of Ziad Abi Chaker. These workshops educated local communities on sustainable waste management, implementing recycling systems, ecological markets, and composting food waste. Participants also gained hands-on experience in vertical planting, learning about its benefits and practical applications through live demonstrations.
In 2023, REEF Encounters’audience took part in a live demonstration that highlighted the conversion of single-use plastics into sturdy benches. Headed by the environmental engineer Ziad Abi Chaker, this showcase included the installation of compact machinery. Attendees witnessed the process of transforming single-use plastics into versatile profiles and observe how these profiles are skillfully crafted into enduring benches.
In 2024, 27 women took part in an upcycling workshop with designer Rytta Couture, where they learned to repurpose used fabrics and garments. This initiative not only promoted sustainability but also opened opportunities for income-generating activities in textile upcycling.
Also in 2024, 10 women participated in a specialized potato workshop, exploring innovative ways to transform Akkar’s abundantly cultivated potatoes into new income sources. This initiative aimed to enhance local economic resilience while promoting sustainable food production.
During the REEF Youth Encounters 2025, a plastic competition was launched in collaboration with CIRCL, a local enterprise, to encourage local environmental action.
The challenge invited participants to collect waste plastic bottles through July. To ensure the waste was ready for recycling, participants were asked to empty and flatten all bottles before the final collection. The initiative concluded with a ranking of the top collectors, who were awarded prizes for their efforts in reducing waste and promoting the reuse of plastic within the community.
harnesses the power of arts and knowledge-sharing to raise awareness of environmental protection, foster connections among rural communities, and inspire the crafting of a new collective narrative.