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As the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced, displaced Lebanese began returning to their homes, only to find widespread devastation.

Beyond the human toll – with over 3,700 dead and 15,000 injured as of November 26 – the environmental damage is another serious consequence often overlooked.

Armed conflicts like the one in Lebanon and Gaza – where has been provided that in parallel to the genocide, ecocide is being committed as well – leave lasting scars on the environment that communities must face for years.

Lebanese environmental organisations, well-versed in the impacts of conflict, have risen to address these challenges, adapting their missions while maintaining their vision.

The environmental toll of war

The environmental consequences of conflict are severe, as pointed out by Guglielmo MazzĂ , the CEO of the social enterprise .

"With all the pollution left when the weapons stop, we must be ready for the years to come," he said.

Refuse the findings of the UN Environment Programme, which estimates that up to 60% of particulate pollution in conflict areas comes from military activities.

Bombs, missiles, and other munitions release toxins into the soil, contaminating it 3 to 5 times more than usual, and wreaking havoc on local ecosystems and agriculture.

The also produce 2-3 times more waste than surrounding areas, compounding the already heavy burden on local waste systems.

Refuse, founded in 2022 amid Lebanon's multi-faceted crisis, initially focused on waste management. It incentivized recycling by offering at collection points in Beirut, allowing vulnerable populations to earn a small income.

However, the war has heavily impacted Refuse’s operations, forcing them to downsize.

“Over the past year, we saw a drastic drop in the prices of recycled materials and funding for environmental projects diminished as the focus shifted to humanitarian relief,” Guglielmo explained.

As a result, Refuse closed two of its three collection points and had to let go of some of its staff.

Shifting focus: Adaptation amid crisis

Similarly, the environmental group s, which has focused on recycling organic waste into heating materials, was forced to halt operations.

Wasted Treasures was launched three years ago in the South and Bekaa regions, the most hit by Israeli airstrikes, when an activist decided to move beyond the participation to the protest movements that shook Lebanon between 2015 and 2019.

“After several years demonstrating on the streets without much success I wanted to transform my energy into something concretely positive for people’s lives,” Carlos Ayvazian, founder of Wasted Treasures, toldĚý°®Âţµş.

Waste management was the field he chose when the .

"As everything became progressively more expensive, people turned to biomass materials for heating,” explained Carlos.

“This meant a massive increase in wood consumption. It was very sad to see the beautiful green places I grew up in deprived of their characteristic trees.”

Thus, the social entrepreneur came up with the solution of transforming organic waste, such as olive waste from mills, coffee grounds or wood shreds into pallets of biomass for heating.

Trying to put those in the market at a competitive price, Carlos’ aim was to “convince people that our alternative was both good for the environment and their pockets.”

In about two years, Wasted Treasures made 315,000 pallets of biomass out of 350 tons of waste, with their demands remaining positive until the events of 7 October unfolded in Gaza and subsequently Israel's brutal war expanded into Lebanon.

As the war worsened, both Refuse and Wasted Treasures adapted by shifting from environmental work to humanitarian aid.

Refuse’s last collection point in Beirut was converted into an aid distribution centre.

“Our partner, , has been tirelessly distributing emergency kits,” Guglielmo noted.

Wasted Treasures, despite the personal losses Carlos suffered – – produced two tons of heating material for free distribution to families in his village of Nabha.

Other environmental organisations, like , led by engineer Ziad Abichaker, also adapted to the crisis.

Ziad, a in the waste management and recycling sector in Lebanon, mobilised quickly to assist displaced populations.

He raised funds to distribute essential supplies, including 2,870 mattresses, 2,000 blankets, and 1,011 pillows, reaching vulnerable communities in Beirut, Akkar, and Chouf.

"We couldn’t just sit aside while people were suffering," Ziad explained.

Taking inspiration from his plastic-made street manholes produced to replace the metal ones — which were stolen and sold in the black marketĚýduring the national financial meltdown — he is now focusing on developing a sustainable shelter prototype, made of single-use recycled plastic and designed to be converted into a greenhouse for vertical farming once the conflict ended.

This initiative aims to also address Lebanon’s food insecurity, exacerbated by the war, destroying already over 2,000 hectares of farmland and leading to the abandonment of 12,000 hectares by fleeing farmers, according to the

Ziad thinks that his solution “could allow families to rely less on aid for their livelihoods and the structure is conceived to last a lifetime, at least 50 to 60 years.”

Looking ahead: Lebanon will make it again

Despite the immediate challenges, Ziad and others show how they are planning for Lebanon’s recovery.

“We are preparing for the future,” he said. While working on the prototype, Ziad will soon launch a fundraising campaign on this project via his ,ĚýRefuse is conducting a study to create low-cost waste management models for post-conflict Lebanon.

“Our objective is to provide solutions that can help municipalities, many of which have been devastated, manage waste effectively once the war ends,” Guglielmo said.

While the future of Lebanon remains uncertain and despite all the destruction and death around them, the Lebanese are once again showing their resilience and strength in rebuilding their lives and country.

“People are still concerned with environmental care despite the war,” Carlos affirmed.

His other initiative, , continues to support municipalities with waste management services, collecting 3-4 tons of waste daily even under the threat of bombs.

The commitment to recycling and sorting waste remains strong in communities across Lebanon.

Ziad echoed this optimism, stating, “This war will not be the end of Lebanon. While it may mark the end of the First Republic, it could also signal the end of the corrupt political class who have led us down a hell road since 2019.”

The three leaders agree that Lebanon’s civil society is growing stronger, even in the face of war. But they also emphasise that for true recovery, Lebanon has to preserve its diversity and overall, must undergo political and structural reforms.

“An independent judiciary system and universal healthcare are the two pillars on which we can build a better Lebanon,” Ziad concluded.

Stefano Nanni is an Italian freelance journalist with a background in the aid sector