Is it all rubbish?

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Samer Kamal, managing director, Bee’ah.

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Pedestrian recycling bins have been placed on Buhairah Corniche in Sharjah.

Currently, the UAE only recycles 3% of its waste. Why? Becca Wilson speaks to waste management experts to reveal the reasons behind the rubbish worries and what more can be done.

It has been widely documented all over the world that the UAE and its neighbouring countries produce the largest amount of waste per person.

With Dubai in particular aiming to achieve the number one tourist destination status, being labelled as a wasteful country isn't helping in its quest.

While countries throughout the world implement useful and effective recycling initiatives, the region is falling behind and retaining this position.

"Only 3% of the waste in the UAE is recycled, the rest is diverted to landfill sites," explains Jasleen Bhinder, environment officer, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).

There are various arguments trying to form some kind of justification as to why the region is so wasteful, with the increasing construction boom being the first.

"It is a young country and has gone through a phase of rapid development which has left gaps in the infrastructure required to fulfil the service requirements of many developments," argues one waste management expert.

According to Dubai Municipality, the most wasteful sector is the construction and demolition industry accounting for approximately 75% of all waste produced in the Emirate. Of this, 50% could be recycled.

Directly linked to this, is the increased expatriate population.

"The make up of the region's population is very mixed, with multi-nationalities from many different countries and backgrounds.

In many of the Asian countries, recycling has not been top of the agenda and the mindset of the people is not geared up to it," explains a spokes person from Molok deep collection systems.

Also, with attractive employment packages being offered to overseas candidates, many people moving to the area only plan on staying for a set amount of time.

For those who are coming from countries that do little or no recycling, there is a need for continuous education and awareness. But educating a transient population is a difficult task, especially when the industry is young and lacks a unified approach to recycling.

Currently, the few initiatives that are being carried out locally come from individuals and/or companies who have felt compelled to address the recycling issue.

Although it is encouraging to hear of people and/or organisations tackling the problem, it is also causing confusion and leading to a misunderstood stance on the subject.

"If people continue to work in isolation it is going to cause problems and I want to get across this message across," says Ali Bin Towaih, Enpark executive director.

"There is no interaction between the government, private sector and service providers. If the three entities don't understand what the other is trying to do then there is a missing link. This is a basic and commonsense thing to know.

"Even if the recycling facilities are there, even if the attention from the government to do it is there, if there is no interaction this will not work.

According to Mark Siddorn, general manager of waste management company, Dulsco, the amount of waste is increasing at such a pace that in two years, the Emirates might not be able to handle it.

"The amount of waste keeps growing. Is has tripled in the last three years and gone from 3,000 tons a day to 9,000. If the city keeps growing the way it is, the landfills will be bursting at the seams. If it isn't sorted out by say 2010, the landfills will be full," he claims.

Current initiatives

But it's not all doom and gloom. Although there is currently the absence of an overall effective waste management policy on a larger scale, there are companies trying to drive the reduce, reuse and recycle message. For example:

Zenath Paper Traders

Falling under ETA Ascon's Facilities Management, Environment & Automobiles/Waste Management Services/Zenath Environment Engineering Services division, is Zenath Paper Traders.

The paper recycling division was launched in 1988 to source, collect and export different grades of waste paper from the Middle East to paper mills in the Indian subcontinent and Far East countries.

Annual Exports exceed 118,000 mts and the paper is collected from all over the Middle East, including, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran.

There are rumours ETA will also be developing a plastic recycling plant in the region.

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