This week, the Mediterranean is back in motion, rediscovering its flavors and rethinking its uses. In Lebanon, refurbished buses are reviving public transport. In Albania, a generation of chefs is bringing traditional cuisine back to life. In Tel Aviv, innovation is facing the challenge of electronic recycling. And in Greece, science is engaging citizens to better protect the sea.
Summary of articles published this week in 22-med, available in the 11 languages used on the site. To read them in full: subscribe and support an independent media.
Parisian buses to revive public transport
After decades of stagnation and road chaos, Lebanon is reconnecting with collective transport. Thanks to an unprecedented partnership between the Ministry of Public Works, RATP, and private actors, a fleet of refurbished buses is once again circulating in several cities across the country. An initiative that brings hope to a population long deprived of public and sustainable mobility.
Albanian cuisine brought up to date
“At the Albanian table, we do not just eat bread — we eat history.” This proverb alone summarizes the country’s cuisine. However, for years, local culinary art seemed to have lost its voice. In towns and villages, plates were increasingly filled with foreign flavors — from Italian pizza to Turkish kebabs — while traditional dishes existed only in family memories. Recently, a new generation of chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs is fighting for the return of Albanian flavors to the table. A more modern and appealing cuisine that links tradition with economic and cultural development.
How to recycle electronic waste in Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv, a flagship symbol of the start-up nation, has established itself over the past two decades as one of the most dynamic technological hubs in the world. Companies there design chips, software, drones, and connected devices. But behind this innovation, another reality is emerging: a growing mountain of electronic waste, a paradoxical reflection of a country at the forefront of digital progress… and lagging in its environmental management. In the face of this contradiction, Get-RE, a young local company, offers an unprecedented solution to recycle mobile phones and transform waste into resources.
Mission Greece: #2 When science engages citizens
The “Greece” mission has not only accumulated data (see our section #1). It has tested concrete ways to act by involving relevant stakeholders, such as sailors or fishermen, and also addressing the general public through children. From the EXOFISH‑MED program to SailingBox, from participatory bathymetry to workshops, the common thread of the scientific expedition has been to make knowledge concrete and shareable. The political goal, led by Monaco, is to increase Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean by 30% by 2030.