Will Beirut finally have cost effective and sustainable solid waste management?

Source: http://www.utilities-me.com

The Naameh landfill, three months after the government’s promised deadline for its closure, is still receiving trash from Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Amid disagreement between various ministers, the government ended up extending the landfill for a three-month period (renewable for another three months). The contracts of two solid waste management companies that cover Beirut and Mount Lebanon were also extended for the same period. These extensions were justified by the need for additional time to develop a solid waste management plan for Lebanon.

Since the 1990s, Beirut and Mount Lebanon were managed as one service area by a company, Sukleen. The government’s proposed plan splits this area into three, such that each area will now be managed by a different solid waste management company. The companies will be in charge of collecting, treating and disposing the waste. The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) has issued tenders for these three areas, as well as others throughout Lebanon.