The deep-rooted garbage crisis in Lebanon, which has constituted an environmental disaster since 2015, may reach its end, if the solid garbage management plan is implemented, and if Lebanon moves from random garbage dumping to sorting and recycling.
The Ministry of Environment carried a new vision divided into three phases, to work on over the next three years.
– The first stage lies in organizing the garbage sector within unified frameworks, conditions and standards subject to the National Solid Garbage Management Authority, in order to avoid dispersal between the Development and Reconstruction Authority and other bodies working in this sector.
The second stage is the application of administrative decentralization, and this step begins by empowering the municipalities financially by collecting specific fees for managing and covering garbage , through frameworks and conditions set by the unified body that was formed.
– The third stage will be through tightening, encouraging and building the infrastructure to start sorting from the source. In Lebanon, we have 50% organic garbage and 25% plastic sorting, through which we can save a large part of the landfill process.
Moreover, the need for sanitary landfills remains fundamental.
According to a study conducted by the World Bank, Lebanon needs to build and develop nine sanitary landfills at the district level, the cost of which ranges between 35-40 million dollars, in addition to rehabilitating the 941 random dumps.
As for the financing of this plan, it will be through the World Bank, the European Union, USAID, and other donor organizations.
Until its implementation, it is the citizen’s duty to start the sorting process from home. The government should also make the plan among its priorities so that it does not become like others, just ink on paper.