Damascus, Aug. 29 (SANA) Syria plans to close about 1,400 unregulated dumpsites under a long-term overhaul of solid-waste management, as authorities seek to improve collection and treatment and expand source separation and recycling across the country.
The plan forms part of the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment’s draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy, which seeks to move from emergency responses toward an integrated and sustainable system covering waste collection, transportation and treatment, ultimately leading to greater recycling.
At a workshop discussing the initial draft on January 28, the ministry said the transition would require improvements in collection and transportation, as well as machinery and equipment for local administrative units.
Sanitation equipment needed by governorates has been incorporated into investment plans for 2025 and 2026, with priorities including waste compactors, street sweepers and container-washing vehicles.
The overhaul comes as cities across Syria grapple with accumulated waste, aging equipment, shortages of containers and pressure on collection and transportation services.
Waste legislation under review
The ministry began reviewing Public Cleanliness and Waste Management Law No. 49 of 2004 on August 2, aiming to improve waste-management mechanisms, clarify responsibilities and increase the efficiency of collection, transportation and treatment while reducing violations.
The legislative review is part of broader efforts to develop a more integrated waste-management system and increase the recovery and reuse of materials that would otherwise be sent to dumpsites or landfills.
Damascus grapples with collection pressures
In Damascus, municipal authorities continue campaigns to remove accumulated waste and address areas where garbage has piled up, though the availability of containers and vehicles and the regularity of collection remain challenges in some neighborhoods.
Residents of the Dahadil neighborhood told SANA that piles of garbage and unpleasant odors were affecting the area. They said waste discarded by vegetable markets and poultry shops near containers was contributing to the problem and called for more containers and tighter enforcement against violations.
A sanitation worker told SANA that collection frequency was only part of the problem, pointing to some residents dumping garbage outside containers or from windows, while others burn accumulated waste.
Scavenging through containers for reusable or saleable materials also scatters garbage and makes collection and transportation more difficult, the worker said.
Damascus Governorate has launched the “Mahloleh” electronic portal to turn residents’ complaints into follow-up measures and designated a number for complaints about municipal services, including accumulated waste.
Waste transportation in the capital has faced additional pressure since garbage previously handled through the al-Ida’shiriyeh transfer station in Bab Sharqi was redirected to the al-Kiswah station in Damascus countryside.
Damascus Director of Cleanliness and Solid Waste Management Abdo Alloush said previously that the change increased pressure on transportation and reduced the frequency of container collection, while a number of municipal vehicles were aging and frequently breaking down.
Authorities have deployed additional engineering vehicles as an emergency measure and are working to obtain modern equipment and identify a permanent alternative site.
The al-Kiswah station, which belongs to Damascus Countryside Governorate, covers about 2,000 square meters, while al-Ida’shiriyeh previously served as an intermediate transfer point for waste from the capital.
Aleppo strengthens collection capacity
Aleppo has also moved to strengthen its waste-collection capacity, particularly in eastern neighborhoods where a sanitation campaign was launched in February to address accumulated garbage.
On February 26, Aleppo municipality received 700 waste containers and five compactors, along with five transport buses, to support sanitation services and improve the city’s capacity to collect and transport waste.
Authorities are also working to provide additional batches of containers and compactors and strengthen sanitation capacity in the city and its countryside.
Homs handles up to 1,500 tons daily
The scale of the challenge is particularly visible in Homs, where the Tal al-Nasr landfill receives between 1,200 and 1,500 tons of waste each day.
Work there includes rehabilitating landfill cells and the leachate network, repairing the perimeter wall and developing roads, lighting and landscaping as part of efforts to improve operations and reduce environmental impacts, including visual pollution and scattered plastic waste.
Authorities are also developing the Deir Baalba landfill using the Japanese “Fukuoka” method, a semi-aerobic landfill system which improves ventilation and drainage inside landfill cells to promote biological decomposition, reduce emissions and extend the site’s operating life.
Source separation expands
Alongside efforts to improve collection and disposal, Syria has begun testing source separation as authorities seek to reduce the volume of waste reaching landfills and recover more recyclable material.
Homs launched a pilot project on July 22 in residential complexes in al-Waer neighborhood, separating recyclable materials from wet waste transported to landfills.
The initiative aims to reduce the amount of waste reaching disposal sites, lower fuel consumption and extend landfill operating life by handling part of the waste stream before disposal.
Idlib launched a similar pilot on July 1 using a “two-bag” system that separates wet organic waste from recyclable materials such as plastic, paper and metals, allowing each category to be handled according to the appropriate treatment method.
The Damascus Environment Directorate has also begun testing the two-bag system, with the project to be assessed before authorities decide whether it can be expanded.
Local projects support municipal services
Waste-management projects are also underway in other governorates as local authorities work to strengthen municipal services in areas experiencing population returns.
Deir Ezzor Governorate and its city council launched a campaign on August 16 to remove accumulated waste and rubble and clean streets and parks.
The city council had received about 200 waste containers and several compactors in October 2025 to strengthen local sanitation services.
In al-Shajara town in Daraa countryside, a solid-waste management project implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and financed by Germany through KfW Development Bank aims to clear about 400 hectares (4 square kilometers) in al-Shajara and 30 hectares (300,000 square meters) in al-Qusayr village, as well as remove around 600 tons of solid waste.
In Latakia, the General Directorate of Local Administration and Environment announced at the end of 2025 that 100 containers had been distributed in the first phase of a plan to provide 500.
The plan also includes acquiring modern vehicles, increasing the number of sanitation workers, installing smart containers and manufacturing some containers locally in the directorate’s technical workshops.
Turning organic waste into useful products
Beyond conventional collection, transportation and landfilling, initiatives in Syria are exploring ways to extract value from biodegradable organic waste.
One such initiative involves breeding black soldier flies and using biodegradable organic waste to feed their larvae, which can later be used in the production of animal feed and organic fertilizer.
The initiative adds a resource-recovery dimension to broader efforts to expand source separation and recycling and reduce the amount of waste requiring final disposal.
Taken together, the planned closure of about 1,400 unregulated dumpsites, the review of waste legislation, investment in collection infrastructure and emerging source-separation and recycling initiatives reflect a gradual shift toward a more integrated approach to solid-waste management in Syria.
The developing system aims to reduce the environmental impact of accumulated waste while increasing the recovery, recycling and reuse of materials that can be returned to productive use.
N.J/MF
