Jurisprudential and Legal Analysis of Ownership of Urban Solid Waste

فقه و اصول (Fiqh va uṣūl)

Article 10, Volume 56, Issue 4 - Serial Number 139, February 2025, Pages 259-277   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jfiqh.2023.81496.1557

Author

Esmail Nematollahi^*

Associate Professor, Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Any seemingly useless object that no longer meets its owner’s needs and is regarded as waste or garbage can, in fact, be regarded as a valuable commodity in today’s world; something often referred to as “dirty gold” or “black gold”. Some types of waste are transformed into valuable commodities after being recycled, some are used for incineration and production of energy in power plants, and organic waste may be utilized for producing fertilizers and compost. Usually, once the owner of the waste refuses it and places the waste beside or inside a trash bin, the responsible authorities (typically the municipality or its affiliated companies) collect the waste. Occasionally other individuals may remove certain items from the trash bins, which can lead to disputes and conflicts between these individuals and the owners of trash bins.  At a broader level, ownership issues arise after the waste is collected, accumulated, and recycled. However, the legal system of Iran lacks regulations addressing the ownership of waste. Given this legal gap and the absence of prior research on the matter, resolving disputes (at macro or micro levels) in this matter requires a comprehensive investigation.

Keywords

waste; garbage; abandonment; ownership; Ḥiyāzat (acquisition)

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