Lebanon E-Waste Crisis: How BFS, UNDP, and the EU Are Building the Country’s First EPR System

• Lebanon generates 47,500 tons of e-waste annually — projected to reach 74,529 tons by 2040 — with almost none managed in an environmentally sound manner.
• BlackForest Solutions (BFS) collaborated with ELARD under the EU-funded, UNDP-led TaDWIR programme to assess Lebanon’s e-waste and battery challenge and design a systemic response.
• BFS assessed e-waste and battery types and quantities, proposed a treatment and financial model, designed an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework tailored to Lebanon’s context, and conceptualised a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to oversee waste flows.
• BFS also supported drafting Lebanon’s upcoming EPR Decree — the legal foundation for a transparent, enforceable national system.
• The full report includes a complete cost analysis and proposed collection, consolidation, and treatment model — available via the link in the article.

Source citations:
47,500 t / 74,529 t / 659 kt – UNDP Lebanon TaDWIR E-Waste Assessment Report, July 2024.
<0.2% ESM managed – UNDP National E-Waste Monitor Lebanon, 2022.

As part of the TaDWIR (Towards a Decentralized Waste Management Integrated Response) program led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union, BlackForest Solutions collaborated with ELARD to tackle Lebanon’s growing e-waste and battery management challenge.

Our team focused on:

• Understanding the Problem: We assessed the types and quantities of e-waste and batteries in the country.
• Developing Solutions: We proposed a treatment approach and financial model to support effective and scalable waste management.
• Establishing an EPR System: We designed a framework for implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Tailoring EPR to E-Waste: We customized the EPR system to address the unique challenges of e-waste in Lebanon.
• Creating Oversight: We conceptualized a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to monitor and regulate waste flows.

In addition, BlackForest Solutions supported the development of Lebanon’s upcoming EPR Decree, laying the groundwork for a more transparent, sustainable waste system.

Explore the full report to learn more about the current state of e-waste in Lebanon and our proposed solution for collection, consolidation, and treatment – including a complete cost analysis: Read the report here.

Frequently Asked Questions: E-Waste Management and EPR in Lebanon

Q1. What is the TaDWIR programme and what is its goal in Lebanon?

TaDWIR (Towards a Decentralized Waste Management Integrated Response) is an EU-funded programme implemented by UNDP in Lebanon to build a more functional, sustainable waste management system. BFS’s involvement focused specifically on e-waste and batteries — the fastest-growing and least-managed waste stream in the country.

Q2. How much e-waste does Lebanon generate, and how much is safely managed?

Lebanon generated 47,500 tonnes of e-waste in 2022, projected to grow to 74,529 tonnes by 2040. Of that, less than 0.2% was documented as managed in an environmentally sound manner — the vast majority ends up in municipal solid waste streams, informal collection, or open dumpsites.

Q3. What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and why does Lebanon need it?

EPR is a policy framework that makes producers financially responsible for the end-of-life management of the electronics they sell — shifting the cost and operational burden from governments and municipalities to the private sector. Lebanon has no functioning EPR framework for e-waste, which is why almost all e-waste goes unmanaged: there is no funded, regulated system to handle it.

Q4. What is a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in the context of e-waste?

A PRO is the operational body through which producers collectively fulfil their EPR obligations — managing collection networks, tracking waste flows, distributing costs, and reporting to the government. BFS designed the PRO concept for Lebanon as part of this project, giving the EPR system an operational backbone rather than leaving it as a regulatory requirement without an implementing entity.

Q5. What did BFS specifically deliver in Lebanon under the TaDWIR programme?

BFS assessed e-waste and battery quantities, proposed collection and treatment approaches with full cost modelling, designed an EPR framework tailored to Lebanon’s regulatory and market context, customised it for the specific challenges of e-waste sub-streams, and conceptualised the PRO structure. BFS also supported the drafting of Lebanon’s EPR Decree.

Q6. What are the biggest barriers to e-waste management in Lebanon?

Lebanon faces three compounding barriers: no regulatory framework for e-waste EPR, insufficient collection and treatment infrastructure, and very low awareness among both producers and consumers. The informal sector handles most e-waste without environmental controls, and economic instability has made investment in formal systems extremely difficult.

Q7. What is Lebanon’s EPR Decree and what will it change?

Lebanon’s EPR Decree, which BFS supported in drafting, is the legal instrument that will require producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment to fund and participate in a national e-waste management system. When enacted, it creates the regulatory foundation for a PRO to operate and for collection targets, fee structures, and compliance obligations to be enforced.