{"id":3397,"date":"2025-12-22T18:12:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T14:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hseqiran.com\/?p=3397"},"modified":"2025-12-22T18:19:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T14:49:33","slug":"%d9%87%d8%b4%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%87-%d8%a8%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b4%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87-%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b4%d8%a7%db%8c-%d9%be%d8%b4%d8%aa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hseqiran.com\/en\/2025\/12\/22\/%d9%87%d8%b4%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%87-%d8%a8%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b4%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87-%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b4%d8%a7%db%8c-%d9%be%d8%b4%d8%aa\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Unequal Battle Against Mountains of Waste: Innovative Social Project Stifled by \u2018Garbage Mafia\u2019 and Systemic Apathy\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cThe Unequal Battle Against Mountains of Waste: Innovative Social Project Stifled by \u2018Garbage Mafia\u2019 and Systemic Apathy\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>

As millions of liters of toxic leachate contaminate Iran\u2019s water and soil daily, a community-driven initiative centered on \u201ceducation and social participation\u201d has demonstrated remarkable success, reducing landfill waste by up to 75% and even permanently closing a major dumpsite. However, the project\u2019s founder claims that \u201cvested interests\u201d and \u201cbehind-the-scenes waste mafias\u201d are actively blocking its expansion to major metropolises.<\/p>

Aref Ahangar, the founder of the MAP Project (a community-based waste management initiative), stated in an interview with ILNA that the project\u2019s philosophy, launched in 2018, is to treat waste management as a \u201csocial issue\u201d rather than a purely technical one. He emphasized that without public participation, no technology\u2014whether composting plants, incinerators, or recycling facilities\u2014can solve the crisis. \u201cWaste is produced in the homes of citizens; therefore, the solution must begin at the same point,\u201d Ahangar remarked.<\/p>

Ahangar, whose company operates under the Mazandaran Science and Technology Park, highlighted the catastrophic situation in northern Iran. Currently, 31 traditional landfill sites exist in Mazandaran alone, mostly situated in the ancient Hyrcanian forests, meadows, or near rivers and the sea.<\/p>

\u201cEvery ton of waste produces approximately 500 liters of leachate,\u201d Ahangar warned. \u201cIn Mazandaran, we produce 3,500 tons of household waste daily, resulting in 1.75 million liters of highly toxic, heavy-metal-laden leachate that enters the groundwater and food chain. We think we are throwing waste \u2018away,\u2019 but that \u2018away\u2019 is much closer than we realize.\u201d<\/p>

Solving the Problem at the Source<\/strong><\/p>

The MAP Project distinguishes itself by managing \u201cwet\u201d or organic waste\u2014which accounts for 70-75% of household waste\u2014right at the source. While municipalities and contractors often ignore organic waste due to lack of immediate profit, it remains the primary source of toxic leachate.<\/p>

\u201cWe are the only group managing separated organic waste in local composting workshops,\u201d Ahangar explained. \u201cWhen organic waste is kept pure and not mixed with other materials, pollution is drastically reduced. In our sites, seeds like cucumber and tomato naturally sprout\u2014a phenomenon that would never occur in a toxic traditional landfill.\u201d This process transforms waste into high-quality, chemical-free organic fertilizer for agriculture and gardening within two to three months.<\/p>

Tangible Success: Iran\u2019s First \u201cTrash-Can-Free\u201d City<\/strong><\/p>

The project\u2019s results have been transformative:\n\nDarab-Kola Village: Reduced monthly waste from 93 tons to just 20 tons (a 75% decrease).\nKiakala City: Successfully diverted 60 tons of waste daily, leading to the permanent closure of a 60-year-old landfill. Kiakala became known as \u201cIran\u2019s first city without street trash cans.\u201d\nPol-e Sefid: Converted a hazardous forest landfill into a clean management site that now hosts educational student tours.<\/p>

The Barrier: The \u201cWaste Mafia\u201d and Financial Interests<\/strong><\/p>

Despite receiving the National Environment Award in 2023 and having official mandates from the National Waste Management Working Group, the project has failed to scale nationally. Ahangar attributes this to systemic corruption.<\/p>

\u201cThe current management structure in many municipalities has hidden interests often referred to as the \u2018Waste Mafia,\u2019\u201d Ahangar alleged. \u201cTheir profit lies in lack of transparency. They benefit from two streams: first, \u2018mining\u2019 recyclables from mixed waste at landfills using cheap labor; and second, transportation contracts based on tonnage.<\/p>

Our project, by reducing tonnage and separating at the source, threatens both of these profit margins.\u201d<\/p>

A Call for a Paradigm Shift<\/strong><\/p>

Ahangar also criticized the reliance on expensive and often faulty hardware, such as the Nowshahr incinerator, which caused significant local pollution upon startup. He argued that the world has moved toward cultural and social solutions, which are far more cost-effective.<\/p>

conclusion<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cIf even a fraction of the current massive waste management budgets were allocated to social participation models, the results would be visible immediately,\u201d Ahangar concluded. \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t a lack of knowledge or technology; it is a lack of political will and a flawed structure that prioritizes profit over public health.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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