UAE’s ambitious waste diversion goals

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

The UAE’s ambitious waste diversion goals can be achieved if more businesses make waste management a top priority within their organisations and adopt best international practices industry experts explained during a workshop recently hosted at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The workshop, organised by member companies of the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network’s Task Force on Waste Management, called for the widespread adoption of integrated waste management strategies within the business community with the aim of helping the UAE meet its target of diverting 75 percent of all municipal solid waste away from landfills by 2021 as outlined in the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021.

During the workshop, representatives from Dubai Municipality said integrated waste management should be a strategic and well-planed approach that controls waste generation, promotes source segregation and collection. The government entity’s presentation outlined various waste minimisation practices used by Dubai Municipality as per its plans to divert waste away from landfill by 2030 and highlighted the benefits of using a smart bin management and waste exchange systems.

According to Dulsco, the best way to manage waste is to also identify the different categories of waste produced, the quantum of waste produced, various recycling units and how each category with the available quantity can be transported to recycling unit.

Averda’s presentation emphasised the importance of the human factor in contributing to waste management, noting that more should be done to encourage employees and customers to change their behaviours towards waste.