Makse village (Bekaa) has 7000 Lebanese residents including 1500 refugees. The economic crisis and the subsequent currency devaluation took its toll on Makse, diminishing its municipal budget and capacity to meet the essential needs of residents mainly in solid waste management.

In response, USAID’s Community Support Program (CSP) assisted Makse municipality in recovering and selling recyclables to decrease the volume of solid wastes in the village. USAID assistance included 54 metal bins for recyclables collection and gear for safe collection and handling of recyclables as well as training on collection and safe handling of recyclables. Makse municipality contributed $10,000 to rehabilitate its recyclables collection center. USAID through CSP has also developed the capacity of community members to design and implement awareness campaigns on sorting at source. This involved a local NGO “Michel Daher Foundation” who partnered with CSP to train 23 community volunteers and focused on the design of campaign and management of awareness activities.  Makse  municipality is now collecting 3.6 tons per month as of May 2024.

“Increased recyclables collection generates significant revenue for the municipality, which helps fund needed community projects that improve our village. With the support of the awareness campaign, we will continue to increase our results. USAID assistance is  reducing waste that goes to landfills, enhancing our village’s image, and creating a cleaner environment,” said Atef Al Mais, Mayor of Makse.