2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
2018
Building a Circular Economy in Lebanon to manage Lebanon’s threats: waste, refugees, and economic collapse.
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy 2018
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
About us
Recycle Beirut !2
2018
2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Employing Refugees who work in jobs ranging from sorting, warehouse operations, drivers, designers, and manufacturers.
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2018
About Us
About Us Lebanese Circular Economy
Empowering Women
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Women sort the plastic, glass, and paper and get paid on a weekly basis. This work helps them provide for their children and for themselves.
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Sorting in Ouzai We collect recyclables from households and businesses, sort them, compress them, and sell them to local factories.
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
The mission
is to reach ZERO waste by composting, recycling and reusing
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy
A B C D
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Contents The Problem
Waste, Refugee, and Economic Crises
EU Approach
Top Down Approaches & Abandoned Factories
Informal Economy as Solution
The Informal Economy and Export Discipline
Engagement and Input
Next Steps
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
A
the problem
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2018
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Waste Crisis
1
The Waste Crisis !9
2018
A The Problem
Waste Crisis
the facts
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
5,000 tons of waste dumped Environmentalists and civil society groups estimate that 5,000 tons of waste is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every day.
100 %
>150
increase in cancer rates
open burning sites
The American University of Beirut predicts that cancer rates will increase hundreds of times over the next decade. !10
Human Rights Watch has documented 150 open burning sites across Lebanon and their impact on human health.
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Waste Crisis
landfills
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2018
A The Problem
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Waste Crisis
landfills
Closure of Naameh landfill In July 2015, a solid waste crisis erupted in Lebanon after the closure of the country’s main landfill in Naameh, putting an end to a 17-year long emergency plan.
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A The Problem
Lebanese Circular Economy
Burning without concern
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Waste Crisis
open burning
Many municipalities simply burn their waste unaware or unconcerned about the consequences for human health. !13
2018
A The Problem
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Waste Crisis
toxic water
Mercury, copper, lead, and cadmium in the water Toxic levels are present up and down Lebanon’s coast line. A fraction of the pollution would have closed EU beaches.
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
garbage snake
Waste Crisis
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Waste Crisis
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Waste Crisis
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Waste Crisis
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Refugee Crisis
2
The Refugee Crisis !19
2018
A The Problem
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Refugee Crisis
2 Million Up to 2 million refugees reside in Lebanon, of which 80% are women and children. Most survive by sending their children to work in dangerous jobs for minuscule wages.
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Economic Crisis
3
The Economic Crisis !21
2018
A The Problem
Economic Crisis
purchasing power parity
$17,000
16451.8
$16,167
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
15788.4
15693.7
$15,333
15057.3
$14,500
14597.6
14400.6 13831.4
$13,667
13352.7
13267.9
2015
2016
13367.6
$12,833
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
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2013
2014
2017
2018
A The Problem
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Economic Crisis
Lebanon is littered with abandoned buildings and unfinished construction projects. !23
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
A
The Problem
Economic Crisis
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A The Problem
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Economic Crisis
It gets worse for Europe If the situation remains unaddressed, Europe is likely to see increased instability in the eastern Mediterranean and additional waves of environmental refugees
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
B
the EU approach
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2018
B
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
EU Approach
Non-functioning factories
More than a dozen Ansar, Tripoli, Nabatiyeh, and Minyeh are four nonfunctioning EU-funded plants. Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy 2018
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
B EU Approach
Formalizing informal waste collection businesses would go a long way toward mitigating Lebanon’s trifecta of crises.
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
B
EU Approach
Businesses need a market and investment. !29
EU Approach
How to formalize?
In order to formalize informal recycling businesses you have to pay for results.
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
B
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B
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
EU Approach
Those results could include tons of material recycled, working conditions, pay, and transparency. These would need to be routinely audited. Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy 2018
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
C
the informal economy
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2018
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
1
The Metal
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Lebanese Circular Economy
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There are over 100 functioning metal scrapyards in Lebanon
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2018
2018
AC The Informal The Problem Economy as Solution
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
The Waste Crisis
The Informal Businesses
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
Working efficiently They work efficiently without government subsidies due to the high price of metal on global markets.
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2018
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Lebanese Circular Economy
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
Facilities for compost, plastic, and other materials would require a subsidy, but given the opportunity could work efficiently as well.
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
2
The Electronics !42
The Informal Economy as Solution
According to the owners, very little is thrown out, and most of the parts are stored and kept until they have found a purpose.
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
The electronics repair shops receive computers, phones, and televisions which they disassemble and recycle. !44
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
3
The Mixed Waste !45
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
While most waste in Lebanon is packaged into white plastic bales and bulldozed into the sea.. !46
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
.. some municipalities have tried Mixed Waste Processing (otherwise known as dirty MRF). !47
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Lebanese Circular Economy
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C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
This practice, essentially trying to manually pick out recyclables from mixed household waste, was abandoned long ago in the EU due to its low recovery rates. !51
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Only about 5-10% of the waste is recovered for recycling, and the quality of this material is poor. !53
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
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2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
The first goal is to formalize these small businesses.
The first step is to understand their needs.
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C The Informal Economy as Solution
8 tons
Of waste diverted from the sea
Lebanese Circular Economy
10 %
Monthly customer growth
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
~25 Well paying jobs that support remittances
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Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
C
The Informal Economy as Solution
The Solution !60
2018
Waste Lifecycle home / store
Gov. backed waste collection
Picked up by facility workers
Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
dumpster
Storage space/ Waste facility
Sold to individuals, other sorting businesses or recycle companies
Dumped in the sea or burned
Recycled
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Common Needs
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
These are what the businesses actually need to properly recycle better.
Market
Training
Someone to buy the sorted recyclables above the cost of collection
Workers require training in new machinery and best practices in recycling
Health & Safety
Infrastructure
Disabled workers and children operate some equipment. Hazardous gases and toxic uids present a danger
For buying new equipment and renting land
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Lebanese Circular Economy
2018
2018
C The Informal Economy as Solution
Gains for all
1
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Cleaner environment for everyone everywhere.
=
2
Increased employment opportunities for Lebanese and refugees
Economic and political stability
3
Increased business opportunities for EU companies !64
2018
Export Discipline Strategy
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Monetizing waste is the cheapest and quickest way to solve Lebanon’s waste crisis.
1
1
EU pays a subsidy for each ton of organic and non organic waste brought to a compost facility
2
Businesses adapt their strategies to respond to this new incentive in the market
3
Systems and supply chains are organized and subsidies are greatly reduced
4
The process allows for small businesses to employ more people and recycle more waste tackling two issues at once
3
start
4
2
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C The Solution
How it works 6
1
A closed loop, circular economy emerges
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
Vegetable markets and restaurants lose produce due to spoilage
2
5
They sell it to waste management entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs will become more efficient over time, allowing the EU to lower the subsidies as the finished compost is sold back to farmers
3
4
These entrepreneurs collect and sell the organic waste to EU facilities
Additional entrepreneurs will start to organize homes and businesses for collection !66
2018
C
Having functioning waste factories creates a multitude of jobs
From Home
Drivers, Operations, Technicians, Frontline Professionals
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
The Informal Economy as Solution
A variety of jobs
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To Factory
Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Lebanese Circular Economy
D
the next steps
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2018
2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Ecosystem driven by transparency and accountability The relationship between Lebanon and the European Union requires a new level of cooperation that activates stakeholders in ways that incentivize them. !69
2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
Strengthening what is working is far more effective than building from scratch.
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2018 Lebanese Circular Economy Recycle Beirut / European Parliament
By listening to each other and working together we can accomplish much.
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