Municipal maintenance workers in Aley, Mount Lebanon, cleaning the streets on May 28, 2025. Photo taken from the municipality's Instagram account.
In a first for Lebanon, the municipality of Aley in Mount Lebanon decided in May to fine individuals caught littering in the streets. The penalty is set at $100.
Speaking to L’Orient-Le Jour, Fady Chehayeb, a municipal council member since 2010, said a team of 50 maintenance workers works daily to keep the city clean. Still, each morning begins the same way: “Trash litters the streets and even reaches the edges of people’s homes, forcing the teams to start from scratch,” he said.
Although Aley, a city of more than 70,000 residents, has launched several initiatives over the years — including cleanup days, awareness campaigns and signs urging people not to litter — Chehayeb said, “Unfortunately, nothing is as effective as hitting the wallet.” He added that the initiative has been met with a positive response from the public.
Surveillance cameras have been installed along the international road bordering Aley, the municipality said in a statement. Violators caught on camera will be fined in absentia, with penalties issued based on vehicle license plate numbers.
Chehayeb said residents and passersby are also encouraged to take videos of people littering and report the violations to municipal authorities. The municipality will then handle identifying the offenders and launching the necessary procedures.
In Lebanon, municipalities are authorized to set their own fines for various offenses, including waste management, parking violations and breaches of urban planning rules. The revenues often supplement local budgets.
