Hammoud Rimaz, Massoud May A, Chalak Ali, Abiad Mohamad G
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad el Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon.
Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 2;15(1):15444. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-00029-y.
Inadequate waste management poses a critical environmental challenge worldwide, particularly affecting global South Countries where limited infrastructure intensifies environmental degradation. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a potential strategy that holds manufacturers accountable for their products' end-of-life management. While EPR has proven successful across Global North countries and is gaining traction in emerging markets, Lebanon has yet to embrace this approach despite its ongoing waste crisis. This study explores EPR's potential in Lebanon through in-depth interviews with stakeholders from the plastic and electronics industries, government bodies, and NGOs. While international companies demonstrated familiarity with EPR principles, many local electronic retailers showed limited understanding. Several obstacles hinder EPR adoption: the pervasive informal waste sector, economic instability, substantial recycling infrastructure costs, knowledge gaps, and weak governance marked by corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency. Despite these challenges, industry stakeholders express keen interest in sustainable waste practices, with some companies already launching voluntary take-back initiatives. Effective EPR implementation in Lebanon requires coordinated efforts among government agencies, manufacturers, NGOs, and communities, supported by strong legislation and enforcement. The findings highlight how EPR can be tailored to assist Lebanon and other Global South countries in overcoming common waste management challenges.
废物管理不善在全球范围内构成了严峻的环境挑战，尤其对全球南方国家影响重大，这些国家基础设施有限，加剧了环境退化。生产者延伸责任（EPR）是一项潜在战略，要求制造商对其产品的生命周期末端管理负责。虽然EPR在全球北方国家已被证明是成功的，并且在新兴市场中也越来越受到关注，但黎巴嫩尽管面临持续的废物危机，却尚未采用这种方法。本研究通过对塑料和电子行业、政府机构及非政府组织的利益相关者进行深入访谈，探讨了EPR在黎巴嫩的潜力。虽然国际公司对EPR原则表现出熟悉，但许多当地电子零售商的理解有限。有几个障碍阻碍了EPR的采用：普遍存在的非正式废物部门、经济不稳定、大量的回收基础设施成本、知识差距以及以腐败和官僚低效为特征的治理薄弱。尽管存在这些挑战，行业利益相关者对可持续废物管理做法表现出浓厚兴趣，一些公司已经发起了自愿回收倡议。在黎巴嫩有效实施EPR需要政府机构、制造商、非政府组织和社区共同努力，并辅以强有力的立法和执法。研究结果凸显了如何调整EPR以帮助黎巴嫩和其他全球南方国家克服常见的废物管理挑战。
