In Lebanon, burning tyres has become part of a local culture; it is done to express anger or as part of protests, or just to get rid of the high volumes of used tyres. But this is a crime against the environment, because of all the carbon dioxide emissions.

Some municipalities bury tyres under garbage "mountains" - but tyres are among the most resistant to natural elements, and need hundreds of years to disintegrate.

Now, there is a solution in the southern Lebanese town of Toula, at the tyre recycling factory named Al-Oula that is managed by Ali Issa, Ahmad Shamseddine and Oula Issa, three young entrepreneurs with a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

The main idea behind Al-Oula is to avoid burning or burying tyres. Instead, they are blended and turned into powder, and then made into floor tiles for pavements, playgrounds, sports clubs and kindergartens.

VERONIQUE ABOU GHAZALEH AL HAYAT (LEBANON)