UAE’s waste diversion goals can be achieved with private sector support

The UAE’s ambitious waste diversion goals can be achieved if more businesses make waste management a top priority within their organisations and adopt the best international practices, industry experts concluded.

They shared their views during a workshop organised recently by member companies of the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network’s Task Force on Waste Management at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The workshop 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 the Dubai Municipality said integrated waste management should be a strategic and well-planned approach that controls waste generation, promotes source segregation and collection. The government entity’s presentation outlined various waste minimisation practices used by the Dubai Municipality to divert waste away from landfills by 2030 and highlighted the benefits of using 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 the 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 behaviour towards waste.

While Enviroserve highlighted that it is important to identify the e-waste, and reuse, recover and recycle it for effective management, presentations from Farnek and Dgrade stressed the importance of adopting a transparent system of waste collection and management.

Established by the chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business, the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network serves as the focal point for the business community to share and exchange the best practices in implementing CSR.

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