Nearly 300,000 tons of trash have piled up in Beirut, Lebanon


Lebanon is finally getting rid of trash piles in Beirut — at least temporarily.

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Beirut's streets have resembled a landfill for the past eight months after a primary landfill filled to capacity and closed. Now, a river of garbage bags stretches for hundreds of meters through the suburbs of Beirut. Many other bags of trash liter the city centers.

The mounting problem is both a symbol and a byproduct of the country's dysfunctional politics.

"This used to be such a beautiful place, but look at it now. We can't even walk by it," Jawanah, a local resident who didn't want to give the rest of her name, told CNN.

The trash pile-up began in July 2015 when authorities shut down the main landfill site for Beirut's garbage but failed to provide an alternative site for dumping the waste.

The temporary solution involves dumping trash into the same landfill that was shut down — at least for the next two months. The plan also calls for two other landfills to open in the next four years.

Beirut's trash problem has sparked a political movement against the government over the past few months, and protesters have demanded the environment minister steps down.

While some outlets have been quick to say the crisis is over, local activists don't think using the old landfill is a viable option, since it was full at the time of closing.

With an estimated 300,000 tons of garbage, many say two more landfills still might not be enough.

Fears abound that rains are flushing toxins into the water table and that the problem and health conditions could worsen as the heat of the summer months approach.