Title: Assessing the feasibility of waste management solutions based on sorting at source and recycling

Authors: Olivia Maamari; Myriam Mrad; Antoine Mouchati; Rawad Rizk; Aya Ibrahim; Joseph Abdo; Christapor Dersarkissian

Addresses: Arcenciel, B.P. 165216, Beirut, Lebanon ' Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand, P.O. Box 166378, Youssef Sursok Street, St. George Health Complex, Ashrafieh, Beirut 1100-2807, Lebanon ' Arcenciel, B.P. 165216, Beirut, Lebanon ' Arcenciel, B.P. 165216, Beirut, Lebanon ' Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon ' Arcenciel, B.P. 165216, Beirut, Lebanon ' Arcenciel, B.P. 165216, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract: The lack of a proper waste management system in Lebanon resulted in a major waste management crisis starting from July 2015. Arcenciel, a non-governmental organisation, started a pilot project in Bekaa and Mount Lebanon aiming at studying the feasibility of carrying out a waste management system centred on a source waste sorting and recycling process. Waste sorting was feasible. However, sorting into two categories would be more efficient than sorting into three categories. The waste generation rate was between 0.83 and 0.88 kg/capita/day. The major errors in waste sorting proved to be centred on non-organic waste sorting, whereas organic waste sorting only indicated small error percentages. The major composition of waste was found to be organic (62.10%), the percentage of recyclable waste being small (8.43%). More than 80% of the non-recyclable and non-organic waste proved to be suitable for energy recovery as refused derived fuel.

Keywords: recycling; sorting; waste management; environment; recyclable waste; organic waste; waste generation rate.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2017.084293

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2017 Vol.19 No.3, pp.216 - 232

Received: 14 Jun 2016
Accepted: 26 Dec 2016
Published online: 24 May 2017 *

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