Lebanese protesters spearhead recycling drive

22 / 10 / 2019

By Marwa Nassar - -

Lebanese protesters decided to launch a recycling drive to present an example of how people can get rid of waste and, hence, contribute to serving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A video has been circulated on Twitter showing Lebanese protesters sifting through garbage with black and blue bags to separate plastics and glasses.

Lebanon has been suffering from the garbage problem for years.

Garbage is a huge problem in Lebanon, especially on beaches. In July, a group of 50 young people gathered on this beach in Lebanon armed with bin bags, gloves and litter pickers, to clean the beach.

The young people, who included student and Syrian refugees who live in the area, gave up their weekend to collect bags of rubbish because they want change.

Therefore, several initiatives were launched to ditch waste. NGO Recycle Lebanon was established in response to growing need to solve the garbage crisis. Recycle Lebanon has been working on advocacy for waste minimization and community involvement, including the establishment of an open data source where people can access countrywide green initiatives.

Another NGO collects glass waste and brings it to a small town in southern Lebanon where glassblowers use it as part of a long-held tradition in the area.

The Waste Management Coalition (WMC), a group of civil society organizations and environmental activists, has been also working in recent years with several other environmental NGOs in Lebanon to raise awareness about the garbage problem and push for changes that enable a more circular economy — one that prioritizes waste minimization, reuse and recycling.

The group has been pushing for a complete amendment of integrated solid waste management law.

The WMC seeks to help Lebanon develop a sustainable waste management strategy.