Parliament enacts integrated
solid waste management law

Decentralization is among the main principles

The Parliament ratified the Integrated Solid Waste Management law.

The law sets general principles and provisions of the solid waste management sector. The principles include reducing and recycling wastes, sorting from the source, composting, and disposal of the inert waste materials.

The law indicates that after composting, energy resources should be retrieved if the process doesn’t cause a negative environmental impact. It says that non-recycled solid waste should be disposed of according to environmental standards.

Solid waste should be managed from the source in an environmental friendly way, without increasing social and economic burdens, and without polluting.

The law prohibits random throwing, dumping, or burning of solid wastes. The polluter bears the cost of managing solid waste.

The law stipulates that decentralization must be adopted in implementing integrated waste management through local administrations such as municipalities and union of municipalities when it is economically and environmentally feasible. Centralized authorities should implement projects when needed.

The Ministry of Environment should set a national strategy for solid waste management. The strategy should be referred to the Cabinet within one year from enacting the law.

The strategy should include an assessment to the current situation for solid waste management, including the random dumps, and the centers established for treating solid waste. It should also evaluate the future needs for solid waste management.

The law also includes programs that should be set by local administrations for solid waste management. Each municipality should prepare a project for managing solid waste to be referred to the Ministry of Environment for approval within six months from approving the strategy.

A national committee for solid waste managements should be established under the authority of the Minister of Environment. The committee will prepare the terms of reference for centralized projects to implement the strategy and conduct environmental impact studies. It will be in charge of managing the tenders for the projects.

Producers, service providers, and exporters of non-household solid waste must submit monthly reports to the Ministry of Environment.

The strategy for integrated solid waste management will be funded through the State budget, the municipalities or union of municipalities’ budget, grants and loans, and private investment.

Fees for solid waste management include increasing the municipality fees, increase on the mobile phone bills, and increase on the nylon trash bags. The fees and its method of collection must be set by a Cabinet decree.

Ministries and administrations that are concerned in solid waste management should encourage projects for solid waste through providing financial and non-financial incentives such as facilitating licensing procedures for service providers and exporters.