Costa Brava Sanitary Landfill
33°48'49.7"N 35°28'49.6"E
Operating beyond capacity
Waste collection in Baabda District is managed centrally by the private waste management company CityBlu, while street sweeping is handled separately by each municipality through its own private contracts. Collection is based on communal roadside bins where households, businesses, and institutions deposit mixed waste for pickup by compactor trucks. There is currently no district-wide waste separation scheme in place. Bin capacity is generally adequate, though densely populated and commercially active areas — such as Ghobeire, Haret Hreik, and Borj el Brajne — generate higher waste volumes that require additional collection effort during peak periods.
All waste is transported in mixed form by CityBlu directly to the Costa Brava Sanitary Landfill, the officially designated disposal site for the district, operating under the supervision of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR).
The Costa Brava landfill remains operational but is widely considered to have reached or exceeded its capacity. In response to growing waste pressures and post-conflict rubble from southern Beirut, the government approved plans in 2025 to expand the site using demolition debris. However, the landfill continues to face significant environmental and public concerns due to its coastal location, pollution risks, and long-standing role as an overburdened emergency waste disposal facility.
The Amroussieh sorting facility is currently non-operational, though future refurbishment could help divert waste away from landfill. At present, the district has no active waste treatment infrastructure, making landfill disposal the sole short-term solution. Most of the recovery activities are performed by the informal sector with limited capacity and unsafe working conditions. Identifying sustainable long-term alternatives remains a priority going forward.
*Collected waste is higher than generated waste because the two figures are based on different methods. The generated waste estimate is based on a sample (7-day WaCT campaign) and extrapolated using per-capita generation rates and population assumptions, while the collected waste figure is obtained from weighbridge records or measured at disposal sites. Seasonal variations, underrepresentation of certain households, or short sampling duration may contribute to underestimation in the generated waste figures.
*Due to challenges in accessing data, a proxy value of 30% was applied to account for waste generated by non-household sources, including markets, commercial establishments, private and public sector facilities, educational institutions, hospitals, and hotels.
During June, July and August 2025, our partner Libanconsult AGM carried out a detailed waste assessment together with UN-Habitat Lebanon. Before starting the fieldwork, the team met with local authorities and community stakeholders to explain the process, align expectations, and ensure smooth coordination. Local staff also received hands-on training to support the data collection.
This assessment used three internationally recognised tools that help cities understand how much waste they generate, how it is handled, and where problems—such as plastic leakage—may occur. Together, these tools give a clear and up-to-date picture of the municipal solid waste system.
WaCT is a step-by-step method that helps cities measure how much of their municipal waste is safely collected and managed. It supports global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.6.1 and provides insights on food waste and resource recovery. Using WaCT, the team measured waste quantities, composition, and how waste moves through the system—from households to final disposal or recycling.
A sample of 33 households was selected across three representative sampling zones within SZ2. The selection process was guided by WaCT and refined through a socio-economic analysis conducted in coordination with local authorities.
The WFD maps what happens to waste after it is generated, with a special focus on plastics. It shows how waste flows through the system, where materials are recovered or reused, and where leakage into the environment occurs. This helps identify hotspots that require action.
WABIs offer a standardized way to evaluate how well the waste system is performing. The indicators cover both the physical aspects (collection, treatment, recycling) and the governance aspects (financial sustainability, inclusion of informal workers, and policy frameworks). These indicators help compare performance across areas and highlight key strengths and gaps.
