Low uptake of recycling services among households

Context

In Lebanon, although the majority of waste is organic, the rest mainly comprises recyclables such as paper and cardboard (17-15%), plastics (13-10%), metals (6-5%), glass (4-3%), and others, such as textiles, wood, and miscellaneous (12-10%). However, only 8% of the daily amount of roughly 4,500 tons to 5,000 tons of municipal solid waste is recycled. The rest is either landfilled (48%), openly dumped (29%) or composted (15%). Inefficient solid waste management is mainly due to corruption, lack of human resources and suitable facilities, and inadequate technical skills.

In recent year, following the waste crisis in Lebanon, several non-governmental organizations started introducing new recycling activities. However, awareness and community participation in support of these recycling services remain weak.

Source: Guide to Municipal Solid Waste Management (2016); Abbas, I. I., Chaaban, J. K., Al-Rabaa, A. R., & Shaar, A. A. (2017). Solid Waste Management in Lebanon: Challenges and Recommendations. Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 4(2), 053-063.; M. (2017). Msv2016. Retrieved from http://global-recycling.info/archives/1274

Examples of Behavioral Biases and Bottlenecks

Hassle: Recycling may be perceived as a hassle as it entails more effort than trash disposal (sorting, finding bins, etc.).

Status-quo bias: Even when people have the best intentions to recycle, the habit of discarding waste may deter them from doing so.

Pessimism bias: People may feel that no amount of effort can change the current waste situation in Lebanon, discouraging them from attempting to recycle.