Through the TaDWIR (Towards a Decentralized Waste Management Integrated Response) program by UNDP and European Union, we teamed up with ELARD to help tackle this challenge.
- Lebanon faces a significant and growing e-waste and battery management challenge — with no functioning formal collection, treatment, or EPR system in place at the time of the TaDWIR assessment.
- Through the UNDP/EU-funded TaDWIR (Towards a Decentralized Waste Management Integrated Response) programme, GFS partnered with ELARD to analyse the problem and design solutions.
- The assessment covered: types and volumes of e-waste and batteries, a proposed treatment and consolidation approach, an EPR system framework specific to Lebanon, and a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) concept.
- BlackForest Solutions GmbH also contributed to drafting Lebanon’s upcoming EPR Decree — moving the country from assessment to legislative action.
- The full report, including cost analysis and treatment system design, is available via UNDP.
53,000+ Tonnes of e-waste generated annually in Lebanon, with the majority entering the informal sector (UNDP/GFS TaDWIR Report estimate) | 0 Formal e-waste EPR frameworks in Lebanon at time of TaDWIR assessment, the GFS/ELARD work was designing the first | 13.1% CAGR of the global e-waste management market 2025–2030, the commercial opportunity Lebanon’s EPR framework is designed to capture |
Here’s what we focused on:
〰 Understanding the Problem: We analyzed the types and amounts of e-waste and batteries.
〰Developing Solutions: We proposed a treatment approach and outlined a financial plan for effective waste management.
〰Establishing an EPR System: We developed a framework for an Extended
〰Producer Responsibility (EPR) system specific to e-waste.
〰Creating Oversight: We conceptualized a ProducerResponsibilityOrganization (PRO) to manage and regulate waste processes.
Additionally, our team at BlackForest Solutions GmbH contributed to drafting the legalframework for Lebanon’s upcoming EPR Decree, moving the country closer to sustainable waste solutions.
Check out our report to explore the current e-waste situation and our proposed solution for a comprehensive collection, consolidation, and treatment system, along with its cost analysis. 🌍
https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2024-07/tadwir_e-waste_report_10.07.2024_1.pdf
FAQs: Lebanon E-Waste Management, the TaDWIR Programme, and EPR for MENA
Q1. What is the TaDWIR programme and what was its objective in Lebanon?
TaDWIR (Towards a Decentralized Waste Management Integrated Response) is a UNDP and European Union-funded programme designed to build sustainable, decentralised waste management systems in Lebanon — with e-waste and batteries identified as a priority stream lacking any formal collection or treatment infrastructure.
Q2. Why does Lebanon’s e-waste situation require a dedicated EPR framework?
Lebanon currently has no functioning system for formal e-waste collection, treatment, or financing — meaning the environmental and health burden of discarded electronics falls entirely on the informal sector and on communities near dump sites. An EPR framework shifts that financial responsibility to the producers and importers who put electronics on the market.
Q3. What is a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) and why was one designed for Lebanon?
A PRO is the collective operating body through which producers fulfil EPR obligations — managing logistics, financing, and compliance reporting. The GFS/ELARD TaDWIR work conceptualised a Lebanon-specific PRO because the country’s market structure, economic fragility, and governance context require a model tailored to local conditions, not imported from European precedents.
Q4. What role did GreenForest Solutions and BlackForest Solutions play in the TaDWIR programme?
GFS contributed the EPR system design, PRO framework, and financial modelling for Lebanon’s e-waste and battery treatment system. BlackForest Solutions GmbH went further — contributing to drafting Lebanon’s EPR Decree, moving the country from assessment to actual legislative foundation.
Q5. What types of e-waste and batteries were covered in the TaDWIR assessment?
The assessment analysed the full range of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated in Lebanon, alongside battery waste streams — mapping volumes, hazardous content, existing informal treatment methods, and the infrastructure gaps that a formal EPR system would need to fill.
Q6. How does Lebanon’s e-waste challenge compare to other MENA countries?
Lebanon’s situation is broadly representative of MENA’s e-waste gap — a region generating significant volumes of electronic waste without formal collection or EPR infrastructure in most countries. The country’s political and economic instability adds further complexity, making the decentralised, locally-financed EPR model proposed by TaDWIR particularly relevant.
Q7. Where can I access the full TaDWIR e-waste report for Lebanon?
The complete report — including the waste analysis, treatment system design, financial modelling, and EPR framework proposal — is published by UNDP and freely available at undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2024-07/tadwir_e-waste_report_10.07.2024_1.pdf