Recycling in Jordan Activity
Every day, Jordan’s Al Ghabawi landfill receives 3,200 tons of Amman’s waste. According to Greater Amman Municipality estimates, the commercial center generates at least 40 percent of this waste. Amman’s waste generation is climbing by more than 5 percent per year, and optimistic estimates peg Amman’s recycling rate at 7 percent, well below other cities in the region. As waste generators continue to choose land filling, manufacturers continue to choose virgin materials due to their low cost and convenience compared to current recycling offerings.
USAID’s Recycling in Jordan Activity uses a market systems approach to increase commercial sector utilization of recycling services in Amman. The project works closely with private recycling firms, the commercial sector, the Ministry of Environment, and the Greater Amman Municipality to increase recycling competitiveness by strengthening market linkages and improving the enabling environment. The project will incubate and expand business opportunities for 200 recycling companies while working alongside the local government to enable and incentivize more than 2,500 commercial waste generators to use recycling services.
By transforming a largely informal network of recycling services into a competitive recycling industry, the project contributes to Amman’s sustainable solid waste management.
