© 2026 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank Group1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Acknowledgments This report was prepared by a World Bank team led by Frank van Woerden (Lead Environmental Engineer),Haji Huseynov (Senior Infrastructure Specialist), and Delphine Arri (Senior Environment Engineer) underthe leadership of Maria Sarraf (Regional Manager for Environment, Social and Climate in MENAAP region).Meskerem Brhane (Planet Regional Practice Director for the MENAAP region) and Catherine Signe Tovey This volume is a product of the staff of the World Bank Group. The findings, interpretations, andconclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank Group does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries,colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment The report benefits from substantive contributions by Jan von der Goltz (Senior Economist), Amal Faltas(Senior Social Development Specialist), Abel Mejia (World Bank Senior Consultant), Perinaz Bhada-Tata (Solid Waste and Plastics Consultant), Fatima Hafsa (World Bank Consultant),Nina Tsydenova(Environmental Specialist), and Salma El Zayat (Junior Professional Associate). Ricardo Khoury and AhmadEl Mourad of ELARD Consulting (Lebanon), supported by a team of specialists, contributed with datacollection, country and sector analytics, and reporting. Madjiguene Seck (Senior Partnership Specialist) Rights and Permissions The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this workwithout permission may be a violation of applicable law. World Bank Group encourages dissemination For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with completeinformation to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, World Bank colleagues representing multiple Global Practices and units have greatly contributed to thereport, supporting analytical work, consultations and dissemination activities. Peer review comments wereprovided by Kremena Ionkova (Lead Urban Development Specialist), Kseniya Lvovsky (Lead Environmental Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to theOfficer of the Publisher, World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; The team gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for the report by PROBLUE, a MultidonorTrust Fund administered by the World Bank Group that supports the sustainable and integrated developmentof marine and coastal resources in a healthy ocean, and the Global Methane Reduction Platform for The analytical findings and conclusions presented in this study are the professional opinion of the WorldBank Group team, based solely upon data obtained during this assignment and the interpretation of available This report acknowledges the limited nature of certain data. This data is expected to be reassessed andreiterated where necessary through follow-up assignments. Unless the team has knowledge to the contrary, CONTENTS Infographic...................................................................................................................................................2 5. Identifying Opportunities for a Circular Economy ................................................................ 5.1How circular economy practices represent savings for MENA........................................................595.2What is needed for an effective circular economy.................................................................................615.3Extended producer responsibility.....................................................................................................................625.4Governance of circular economy systems..................................................................................................645.5Why regional cooperation is essential..........................................................................................................655.6Why progress is possible for all MENA countries....................................................................................66 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 1. Exploring Waste in the MENA Region: A Pressing Issue ..................................................... 1.1Background...................................................................................................................................................................211.2Data sources and methodological approach..............................................................................................221.3Defining the country groups in the region........................................................