Waste management company Ramco announced on Tuesday the immediate suspension of its waste collection operations in several areas of Mount Lebanon, Keserwan, and Beirut, following the sudden closure of the Jdeideh landfill at around 4 a.m.
However, in a statement released later in the afternoon, the company said it had been informed by the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) that the contractor in charge of the Jdeideh sanitary landfill was instructed to resume receiving and temporarily storing waste after the site had reached full capacity. Ramco confirmed it would restart its operations as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the company had explained that it could no longer operate in the affected areas “until the site reopens and waste treatment activities resume.” The temporary shutdown of the Jdeideh landfill – one of the main disposal sites for household waste from Beirut and its suburbs – had raised concerns about a potential buildup of garbage across the capital.
The incident once again highlights the chronic fragility of Lebanon’s waste management system, which remains heavily dependent on a limited number of treatment centers that often face capacity or administrative constraints.
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