The Stakeholder Perspectives on Solid Waste Management in Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract: The city of Beirut needs solutions for a problem that is plaguing the entire country ofLebanon: waste. Statistics from the Ministry of Environment in Lebanon shows that2,700,000 tonnes/ year of municipal solid waste is generated with 44% ending up in landfillsand 36% in dumpsites. The study intends to research how stakeholders view the current stateof beirut's waste sector and the effect it has on their collaborative relationships. This masterthesis was carried out during the spring semester of 2023; eight of those weeks were spent inBeirut, Lebanon conducting interviews, gaining observations and engaging in the minor fieldstudy. The qualitative method utilized in this research was the content analysis method incombination with semi-structured interviews.The study's findings yielded the following sixthemes: a) Technology and Living Within Means; b) The Informal Sector and Its WastePickers; c) Structure vs. Collective Agency; d) Waste has Value; e) Stakeholder Dynamics.The findings of this study shows that there are deep structural changes that need to be made inthe waste management sector in Beirut. Waste is a valuable resource that demands heightenedawareness, recommended by the stakeholders to come in the form of education and acollective effort to redefine ‘waste’ as material. Beirut has the potential to have wellstructured infrastructure, cooperative stakeholder dynamics, inclusive policies andawareness.The proposed waste management infrastructure being established holds thepromise of outlining clear roles and responsibilities that the stakeholders can abide to. Thisnew structure aims to create smoother collaborations and foster clarity in waste sectorpartnerships, in turn making the decision process more effective and Beirut more green andclean.