Receive money for your waste… As long as it is recyclable. This is the heart of the initiative launched last March, in Beirut, by the Lebanon Waste Management (LWM) association. The “Drive Throw” operation – literally, drop off your waste while you drive – offers motorists the opportunity to deliver their recyclable waste to a kiosk in front of its premises in Sedd el-Bauchrieh (Metn), while remaining in their vehicle. And this once morest a remuneration that varies according to the nature of the waste and its weight. Inspired by the “Drive Thru” concept of American fast food, the “Drive Throw” is becoming more and more successful in these times of economic crisis in Lebanon. “When we launched our initiative, we were welcoming 20 to 25 cars a day. Today, we receive 100 to 150 vehicles daily,” says Thérésa Farah, Director of Operations at LWM. “People arrive by car at our sorting center and hand us their bags. We weigh their waste and we pay them accordingly,” she continues. “Drive Throw” buys all kinds of cardboard and plastic waste, nylon, polystyrene, aluminum, used batteries and even electronic equipment. Paper and cardboard are paid 1,500 LL per kilo for example, plastic, 5,000 LL per kilo, while cans and tins are paid 20,000 LL per kilo. Motorists who so wish can donate the money raised to humanitarian NGO partners in the project. After receiving the waste, LWM carries out an initial processing on site, using state-of-the-art machinery. “We cut the plastic and compress it, then we resell it to recycling plants. We do the same for paper and other materials,” explains Thérésa Farah.
An employee of Drive Throw collects bags of recyclable materials at the association”s premises in Sed el-Bauchrieh. Photo Joao Soussa
300 tons of waste per month
Building on its success, the “Drive Throw” operation now manages to collect around 300 tonnes of recyclable waste per month. Waste that, without this initiative, would certainly have landed in one of the country’s coastal dumps, or, even worse, in wild dumps. “We went from 10 bags of recyclables per month to around 300 tons, or 10 to 20 tons a day. Lebanon produces approximately 4,000 tons of household waste daily, 30% of which is recyclable solid waste. Even if our impact is still limited, it’s already something,” says the director of operations. She also reveals that the group is preparing the forthcoming opening of collection centers in South Lebanon, Dbayé and Baabda. “LAW did not expect this project to be so successful. Money is certainly a motivation, but citizens are increasingly aware of the need to recycle. They are gradually realizing the importance of recycling. This is happening slowly but surely,” analyzes Thérésa Farah. Founded in 2019 by environmental activist Pierre Baaklini, LWM now employs 25 people. This association offers another service, paying this one, to cover the price of fuel, waste collection at home. The group also collects recyclable waste from wild landfills in the country or on the side of the roads. In 2021, LWM had created, in partnership with the Berytech incubator, a project to produce tiles and cobblestones from non-recyclable materials. The association now works hand in hand with the municipalities of Broummana and Dhour Choueir, who give it their recyclable waste. It has also entered into partnerships with two large supermarkets which enable it to recover their cardboard and polystyrene waste. LWM also offers “zero waste” events for individuals. “We offer offers to recover recyclable waste resulting from weddings, concerts or birthdays. We provide staff who, during the event, are responsible for sorting at source and recovering all recyclable materials,” explains Thérésa Farah.
The “Drive Throw” service is open Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 7 a.m. to noon, in the Sedd el-Bauchrieh sector, in Beirut. Information on 81 312 186.
Receive money for your waste… As long as it is recyclable. This is the heart of the initiative launched last March, in Beirut, by the Lebanon Waste Management (LWM) association. The “Drive Throw” operation – literally, drop off your waste while you drive – offers motorists the opportunity to return their recyclable waste…