Sorting and Recycling Waste in Nahr El Bared Refugee Camp

In Lebanon’s Nahr El Bared refugee camp, trash is dumped everywhere. It fills the streets and covers sports fields. As the camp runs out of space, residents dump waste dangerously close to the sea. To make matters worse, scavengers often tear open bags to find recyclables that they can sell, leaving a huge mess. They burn the remaining garbage.

For the 30,000 Palestinian refugees in the camp, the situation poses huge health risks. So this year, Anera initiated a pilot project to address the issue. Now, a volunteer team of youth in the camp act as ambassadors for the project. First, Anera trained the inspirational young adults in environmental health. Then, the team set out to engage their community. The teens teach families to sort trash on a household level and host clean-ups in the camp.

The project involved a model neighborhood of 350 households in the camp, where families were enthusiastic about getting their neighborhood cleaned up. Anera distributed bins to each household for sorting waste and recyclables. Then, we coordinated trash pick-up and training with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Finally, people like you funded tree-planting days. The new trees encourage Nahr El Bared residents to keep their environment beautiful. Watch the film to learn more.

Watch: Youth Lead Nahr El Bared Clean-up