On August 12, ECODIT President Joseph Karam and Kamil Wanna, Chief of Party of the ECODIT-implemented USAID/Lebanon Diverting Waste by Encouraging Reuse and Recycling (DAWERR) Activity, accompanied USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa, USAID Lebanon staff and other USAID Implementing Partners on a tour of Beirut, Lebanon. During the tour, they surveyed the aftermath of the two calamitous explosions that took place at the Port of Beirut on August 4, killing more than 160 people, injuring thousands more, and devastating a large swath of the city.

ECODIT is assisting USAID in its emergency response to the explosions. Through DAWERR, ECODIT is supporting the safe collection and storage of broken glass and other solid waste that resulted from the explosions. “ECODIT is coordinating closely with the Chemonics-implemented USAID Community Support Program. The response will support the collection and sorting of broken glass and other recyclables in order to channel them through current or future recycling value chains in the country,” said Mr. Wanna.

DAWERR is a recently awarded five-year, $15 million activity that will work to establish sustainable and replicable integrated solid waste diversion and valorization solutions in Lebanon. The Activity will introduce financially sustainable solutions that increase the reuse, recycling and monetization of solid waste and reduce the amount of “residual” solid waste that goes into landfills. The results will be improved health and social welfare and expanded economic horizons for the people of Lebanon.

“ECODIT is privileged to support USAID Lebanon in its rapid response efforts to help the Lebanese people in the wake of the Beirut explosions last week,” said Mr. Karam.

ECODIT is a U.S.-based small business with 27 years of experience working with governments, businesses and local communities to advance environmentally and socially responsible development around the world. The firm has worked extensively with USAID/Lebanon to support clean water, rural tourism, environmental sustainability, and improved governance. To learn more about ECODIT, visit www.ecodit.com and follow the firm’s social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.