Tripoli waste management crisis faces looming landfill closure

Officials and civic leaders met in Tripoli to discuss the escalating waste management crisis facing the city and the surrounding Al-Fayhaa municipalities. A key concern raised is that the current landfill is expected to reach full capacity and close by the end of August 2026, according to the Council for Development and Reconstruction.

Wael Zamarli, president of the Al-Fayhaa Municipalities Union, highlighted several critical issues, including the city's daily production of over 450 tons of waste and a severe financial crisis within the union. He noted that the waste collection contract with Lavajet has been periodically extended for approximately 26 years despite its expiration. Other challenges include aging machinery, a shortage of approximately 300 waste containers, and a sorting plant that has been out of operation for years.

The Tripoli Municipal Forum, which aims to promote civic participation and transparency, emphasized its role in monitoring and accountability rather than acting as a replacement for local municipalities. One proposed solution to the looming landfill closure is the conversion of the Serar landfill in the Akkar district into a sanitary landfill.