A dozen sorting facilities
to see light in 2016

More than $200 million in investments required

More than ten sorting and composting trash facilities are expected to begin operations in various regions in 2016.

According to Ziad Abi Chaker, Co-founder of Cedar Environmental, a company that provides waste treatment services, more than $200 million in investments are expected to enter the market within the next two years.

Tony Bou Chalhoub, General Manager of Bou Chalhoub for Industry and Trade, a manufacturer of sorting production lines, composting and RDF machines, said that demand for these machines has increased by 70 percent, as a result of the crisis. “More than 4,000 tons of waste is generated locally every day,” he said.

WLC, a company that provides storing and logistics services, will open a sorting and composting factory in Nahr El Mot. It will transform non-organic trash into Reused Derived Fuel, which can be used to generate energy to sell to cement factories. Investment in the 15,000 square meter project is expected to reach $3.5 million. The factory will have the capacity to sort up to 200 tons per day.

Cedar Environmental, a company in charge of building, operating, and managing sorting facilities, is in the process of signing contracts with five villages in Metn, four in Keserouan, and 30 villages in Koura to build sorting facilities. Investment in each facility will reach $5 million, each of which has an area of 500 m2. The facilities have the capacity to sort 100 tons per day.

The Shouf Soueijani Union of Municipalities will open its sorting facilities within weeks. It awarded operations to the Nazih Breidy Company. Investment in the facility reached $1.5 million and has a space of 2,000 m2. It has the capacity to sort 40 tons per day.

The Chkif Union of Municipalities will open its sorting and composting facility that will serve 29 villages. Investment in the project is $2 million and spans an area of 5,000 m2. The facility has the capacity to sort 200 tons per day.

The Jabal Amel Union of Municipalities is planning to expand its sorting facilities and increase its capacity. The available sorting facility collects waste from nine villages out of 16. Investments required to expand the facility are $10 million, with a built-up area of 10,000 m2. It will increase the capacity by 20 tons per day.

The municipalities of Al Marj, Bar Elias, and Kab Elias, as well as the Union of Shouf El Aala municipalities are planning to open their own sorting facilities. The municipality of Al Marj will invest around $2 million in a 5,000 m2 factory with a capacity to sort 200 tons of waste per day.

The Shouf El Aala Municipality is in the process of opening a sorting facility that will serve 15 villages. Investment in the 800 m2 factory is expected to be around $250,000 . It will have the capacity to sort 15 tons per day.

The municipalities of Barouk and Ain Zhalta are preparing to launch a new sorting and composting facility. Around $200,000 will be allocated to build a 1,000 m2 facility that will be able to sort 50 tons of trash per day.

The Municipality of Baalbek opened a sorting facility, including a biogas unit to transfer organic trash into energy. Investment in the project is $4 million, and has the capacity to sort 150 tons per day. Our Lady of Lebanon Convent also established a factory for pressing non-organic trash inside the convent. Investment in the facility reached $50,000 and has the capacity to sort up to ten tons per day.

The Dhour Choueir Municipality purchased a $300,000incinerator to burn up to 30 tons of waste per day.

According to Abi Chaker, the average cost of management of each ton of waste is $66, excluding transportation costs.