Bouhayra Union Waste Collection and Odour Control

The Bouhayra Union of Municipalities groups 18 municipalities in West Bekaa and operates a Mechanical Biological Treatment facility and adjacent sanitary landfill at Joub Jannine, processing roughly 100 tonnes a day. Two problems were identified under the Mercy Corps-funded IJMAA programme: collection across the union, and odour from the composting plant.

Libanconsult delivered both assignments between 2019 and 2020 - the collection strategy across the 18 municipalities, and the design and installation supervision of the odour control system at Joub Jannine.

The collection work began with waste characterisation, qualitative and quantitative, across households, industries, markets, restaurants and commercial areas. From that baseline it set collection mode, schedule, frequency, fees, equipment and vehicles, divided the service areas, engaged residents on household collection preferences, and designed the routes in GIS. The odour work covered detailed design and calculation notes, tender documents, and supervision of equipment purchase and installation.

The union's waste system was addressed at both ends: collection across 18 municipalities at the front, and odour-controlled treatment at the back - the two things residents had been complaining about.