Turning Waste into Opportunity: How MEDWISE is Advancing Circular Waste Management in Palestine

Waste management remains one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges in Palestine. Rapid population growth, urban expansion, and limited infrastructure have significantly increased the volume of solid waste generated across cities and rural areas. According to the World Bank, Palestine generates over 1.6 million tons of solid waste annually, placing growing pressure on already constrained systems (World Bank, 2023).

Recent data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics indicates that waste generation continued to rise through 2024 and 2025, particularly in urban areas, reflecting shifting consumption patterns and increasing population density (PCBS, 2025).

In many areas, waste collection systems remain inconsistent, and landfill capacity is limited. Open dumping and burning still occur in some locations, contributing to environmental degradation and posing risks to public health. The United Nations Environment Programme highlights that fragile and resource-constrained contexts like Palestine face compounded challenges in managing waste sustainably (UNEP, 2024).

The Cost of Inefficient Systems

Inefficient waste management systems extend beyond environmental damage. They result in lost economic value, increased municipal costs, and missed opportunities for resource recovery.

Globally, at least one third of waste is not managed in an environmentally sound manner (UNEP, 2024). In Palestine, the situation is further complicated by structural and financial limitations. Municipalities often lack the technical and financial capacity to implement modern waste management systems, as highlighted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2024).

At the same time, organic waste which represents a significant portion of municipal waste remains largely underutilized, despite its potential to generate energy and contribute to soil regeneration.

MEDWISE: A Shift Toward Circular Solutions

In response to these challenges, the MEDWISE project introduces a new approach to waste management, one that moves beyond disposal toward resource efficiency and circularity.

MEDWISE aims to accelerate the transition toward a circular, resource-efficient economy across the Mediterranean region, including Palestine. The project promotes innovative, practical solutions that improve how waste is managed, reused, and reintegrated into production systems.

Key areas of focus include:

• Enhancing waste sorting and recovery systems
• Promoting decentralized composting solutions
• Supporting industrial symbiosis, where waste from one sector becomes input for another
• Strengthening cross-border knowledge exchange and innovation

This approach aligns with Circular Economy principles, where waste is no longer seen as an endpoint but as a valuable resource that can be reintegrated into the economic cycle (European Commission, 2020; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).

From Linear to Circular in the Palestinian Context

Transitioning from a linear “take make dispose” model to a circular system requires systemic change.

In Palestine, this means prioritizing waste segregation at source, strengthening local recycling ecosystems, supporting SMEs working in waste and resource recovery, raising awareness around sustainable consumption, and aligning local practices with international environmental standards.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has emphasized that improving resource efficiency is essential for environmental resilience in water-scarce and resource-constrained regions like Palestine (FAO, 2025).

Leaders International’s Role in Driving Change

As part of the MEDWISE project, Leaders International for Economic Development plays a key role in translating circular economy concepts into practical, locally relevant solutions.

Through its work in Palestine, Leaders International contributes by supporting data collection and analysis related to waste streams and existing management systems, conducting stakeholder mapping to identify key actors and opportunities within the waste ecosystem, and advancing the industrial symbiosis approach by identifying ways to transform waste and by-products into valuable inputs across sectors.

These efforts lay the groundwork for future implementation phases, helping identify actionable pathways for reducing waste, recovering resources, and promoting circular business models.

Toward a More Sustainable Future

Improving waste management in Palestine is not only an environmental necessity it is also an economic opportunity.

By shifting toward circular systems, Palestine can reduce environmental impact, create new business opportunities, and strengthen local resilience.

Projects like MEDWISE demonstrate that with the right combination of innovation, collaboration, and local engagement, waste can be transformed from a growing challenge into a driver of sustainable development.

References

World Bank – Solid Waste Management in the West Bank and Gaza

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) – Environment Statistics

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Global Waste Management Outlook 2024

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Palestine Programme

European Commission – Circular Economy Action Plan

Ellen MacArthur Foundation – Circular Economy Introduction

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – Near East and North Africa Region