Two Palestinian entrepreneurs launch a recycling startup in the West Bank to address the mounting garbage crisis exacerbated by Israeli movement restrictions, turning plastic waste into reusable materials.
In the occupied West Bank , the accumulation of uncollected garbage has become a daily reality for Palestinians, exacerbating the hardships of life under military occupation.
With over 925 checkpoints and barriers installed by the Israeli military as of late 2025-a 43% increase from the previous two decades-the movement of people and goods is severely restricted. This includes garbage trucks, which struggle to reach landfills, leading to piles of waste that fester in the streets and at transfer stations.
Amid this crisis, two young Palestinian entrepreneurs, Ibrahim Ghazal and Faris Abu Keshek, are striving to turn the waste problem into an opportunity through their startup, Scrapcycle Solutions. Located opposite the main garbage transfer point in Ramallah, Scrapcycle Solutions operates a recycling facility that processes plastic waste into reusable pellets. The warehouse is filled with machines that sort, wash, dry, shred, and melt plastic garbage. Ghazal, a mechanical engineer, explains that they transform waste plastic back into raw material.
The idea for the startup was born after the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, which led to heightened restrictions on Palestinian movement. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who previously worked in Israel lost their permits, and new checkpoints were installed around villages, often sealing them off with concrete and metal gates. These measures have made every aspect of life harder, especially waste management.
The transfer station near Ramallah, which used to be cleared daily, now holds an estimated 750 tons of garbage, attracting birds and stray dogs. In the past, the site caught fire and smoldered for two weeks, releasing toxic fumes. Dozens of loaded garbage trucks sit idle for hours or days, waiting for the right moment to pass through checkpoints to reach one of only two landfills in the West Bank-one in the north and one in the south.
Abu Keshek notes that settlers sometimes attack the drivers, and the Palestinian Authority has long sought approval for a third landfill in the central West Bank, but Israel has refused. He believes this is intentional: They want people to feel pressure and understand that every aspect of life is controlled.
The Israeli military claims it is advancing on a construction permit for a third landfill, using the biblical name Judea and Samaria, but Abu Keshek argues that landfills are not the solution since they will soon reach capacity. Instead, he and Ghazal advocate for large-scale recycling. After visiting a recycling plant in Jordan, Abu Keshek was inspired to call his partner and express his amazement at how proper recycling should work.
Their small facility is a step toward a more sustainable future for the West Bank, but the challenges remain immense
West Bank Garbage Crisis Israeli Restrictions Recycling Startup Palestinian Entrepreneurs
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