UAE green tax needed now, says expert

The UAE should introduce a population-wide green tax to combat its dramatically rising waste mountain, the head of the region's first recycling park has exclusively revealed to Arabian Business.

Musaed Al-Saleh, vice chairman and CEO of the National Projects Holding Company (NPHC), told Arabian Business that in five years time Dubai would produce 46 million tonnes of waste alone, a massive rise from the 12 million it produced in 2006, and that "even a minimal amount of taxation would make a tremendous difference".

"People have talked about taxation coming to the region but if they are going to talk about this then we should start adding tax to the amount of waste we produce."

Al-Saleh added that Dubai and the region had a very "disposable culture and an equally disposable conscience" and that almost all the waste produced in the emirate was "thrown into landfill sites".

"There are no incentives to recycle or penalties if you don't recycle in Dubai. Just a minimal amount of taxation would make a tremendous difference." Al-Saleh added that Dubai and the UAE should look to also implement flytipping fees (the illegal disposal of waste) as well as charges on tenants in different parts of the UAE.

"We have to make sure as much waste as possible is recycled."

Al-Saleh's National Holding company will learn next week whether the masterplan for its ambitious US$150m, 1.5 million square feet recycling park located in Dubai Industrial City (DIC) will be approved by the Dubai Municipality and the DIC itself.

The company has been given a non-objection certificate to recycle waste by the Dubai government and, if approved, Al-Saleh said that construction would start in mid-April and be completed within a "maximum timeframe of 18 months".

"There will be a massive paper recycling aspect and sorting facility for all types of waste. Everything except hazardous waste will be sorted and treated. This is treated through incineration by the Municipality."

The chief executive said that the company was also focusing on reducing carbon emissions in Dubai and that once construction on the Park gets underway it will begin a programme to plant 1000 trees which will offset carbon emissions by 10,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

The vice chairman added that he hopes to take the "brand" to other parts of the region including Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

"We definitely want to take it elsewhere. The potential to spread this idea to other countries is very likely, especially in Saudi Arabia. This is the logical place in terms of waste but in terms of environmental policy it is not the best."

He also said that Abu Dhabi was stepping up its environmental awareness programmes and that the UAE capital would be the "next logical step" to spread the Park.

"It [Abu Dhabi] produced the Emirates environmental report. It called Dubai the Geneva of the Middle East in terms of business but we now have to transform Dubai into the environmental equivalent of Geneva. The flagship Recycling Park will put it on the green map.

"It's a shame nothing has been done in the past but at least we are starting to do something now.

"In the past there were no environmental or waste management policies or incentives to help you, but now certain leaders are changing their policies," he added.

Asked whether one central location was the solution to the region's growing waste problem, Al-Saleh said that it would work "to begin with" but that a varied location approach would become a future strategy.

"At the moment a lot of companies are finding that by the time they get to waste points the best components and elements have been taken by scavengers, but once the relevant policies are in place then it will work."

The NPHC is becoming well known for its work in corporate social responsibility and was awarded the best company for CSR at the inaugural Arabian Business Kuwait awards.