A persistent sinus problem led Kamel Almani to set up an ecological dry-cleaning service in Jordan. His aim was to put an end to the widespread use of dangerous chemical products. When his health problems arose, this young man had no idea that the dry cleaning of his work clothes with perchloroethylene (a carcinogenic chemical agent) was the cause. It was only during a discussion with a chemist friend who wanted to create an ecological laundry service, that Kamel Almani discovered it. And so WashyWash was born, as the result of a partnership between the two friends.

WashyWash began operating in 2018 with five employees, including the co-founders. In just 8 months, the startup attracted more than 5000 clients, had 19 employees and began to make a profit. The startup’s success has been phenomenal, due to the reliable staff and also the exclusive use of toxin-free, biodegradable EcoClean certified products which do not pollute the air, water or soil, thereby protecting people’s health and the environment. Forging ahead, WashyWash has also developed an app which enables contact with clients to arrange home collection of their laundry for it to be washed and quickly returned to its owners. A quality service which has caught the eye of international investors. Today, WashyWash, the leading ecological cleaning service in Jordan, is seeing exponential growth of its monthly turnover and is set to become international.

Switchmed

The SwitchMed initiative is funded by the European Union. Its activities benefit 8 countries in the Southern Mediterranean: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. Through policy development, demonstration activities and networking opportunities, SwitchMed supports and connects stakeholders to scale-up eco and social innovations. The programme supports policy makers, eco-innovative small and medium sized enterprises, industries, start-ups and entrepreneurs in the Southern Mediterranean countries, which have identified job creation and natural resource protection as priority issues that also contribute to their economic stability.

The Switchers

The Switchers is a community of inspiring green entrepreneurs and changemakers in the Mediterranean region. It is also a place where entrepreneurs that share a common passion for the environment can meet. Switchers are green and circular businesses implementing eco-innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable and fair consumption and production models. They are active in a variety of fields, such as sustainable farming, green construction, sustainable textiles and cosmetics, eco-tourism, renewable energy, or waste management.

#EyesOnGreen (2021)

To celebrate the World Environment Day in 2021, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), the EU Neighbours South regional communication programme, and the SwitchMed initiative teamed up for the launch of the regional competition EYES ON GREEN. The competition covered 7 countries of the Southern Neighbourhood region: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The online ...

Thematics
Employment & Entrepreneurship