Category Archives: Waste Management

Recycling of Glass

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Glass and bottles are a large component of waste due to their weight and density consisting of bottles, broken glassware, light bulbs and other items. The glass bottle use is not much declining due to rising consumers, high consumption and introduction of a variety of soft drinks and juices. Glass recycling is at a minimum in the Middle East due to lack of segregation, awareness and economical reasons. Management of glass bottles is a major challenge as it takes millions of years to degrade glass naturally. Glass bottles and jars are 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without any … Continue reading →

Waste Management Awareness in Oman: A Pilot Study

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The four Rs (reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle) of waste management have not yet entered the everyday discourse of Oman, but does this mean that they are not part of everyday life in Oman? We think the people of Oman can help us to answer this question. To get a first-hand understanding of the degree of waste management awareness in Oman, a pilot study was designed, a questionnaire was prepared, and in a series of interviews with individual Omanis we recorded their responses. Insights into the Survey The questionnaire covered household consumption habits, food waste and other household waste, and awareness of … Continue reading →

Recycling of E-Waste in GCC: Challenges and Opportunities

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The growing amount of e-waste is gaining more and more attention on the global agenda. In 2017, e-waste production is expected to reach up to 48 million metric tons worldwide. The biggest contributors to this volume are highly developed nations, with the top three places of this inglorious ranking going to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. In Norway, each inhabitant produces a massive 28.3 kg of e-waste every year. Not far behind the top ten of this ranking lie GCC member states, with both Kuwait and UAE producing each 17.2 kg e-waste per capita per year. Saudi Arabia with its many … Continue reading →

تحلل نفايات الإطارات

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يتم تجاهل عشرات الملايين من الإطارات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط كل عام . إن التخلص من نفايات الإطارات  مهمة صعبة لأن الإطارات لها عمر طويل وغير القابلة للتحلل . الطريقة التقليدية في إدارة نفايات الإطارات هي تخزينها أو إغراقها أو طمرها  غير القانوني، وكلها حلول قصيرة الأجل .الإطارات المخزونة توفر  أرضا خصبة مثالية لتكاثر البعوض، والحشرات والثعابين . بعض الحرائق المفاجئة او العرضية في مكبات الإطارات في إثارة إصدار الغازات السامة منها لأشهر . على سبيل المثال، شب حريق هائل  في الجهراء موقع تفريغ في الكويت في ابريل 2012 حيث تم تخزين أكثر من 5 ملايين من نفايات الإطارات . … Continue reading →

Recycling Prospects in Saudi Arabia

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The concept of waste recycling has been getting increasing attention in Saudi Arabia in recent years. The country produces around 15 million tons of municipal solid waste each year with an average daily rate of 1.4 kg per person. This rate is projected to double (30 million tons per year) by 2033 with current annual population growth rate of 3.4%. The major ingredients of Saudi Arabian municipal solid waste are food waste (40-51%), paper (12-28%), cardboard (7%), plastics (5-17%), glass (3-5%), wood (2-8%), textile (2-6%), metals (2-8%) etc. depending on the urban activities and population density of studied region. Prevalent … Continue reading →

A Holistic Approach to Tackling Food Waste Problem in Qatar

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In a country that imports 90% of its food, discarded food accounts for about half of Qatar’s municipal garbage. These statistics point to the loss of millions of riyals each year, in the form of food wastage. The food in landfills rots to release greenhouse gases like methane which are responsible for the rise in temperatures which contributes to global warming. According to Project Drawdown, the global leader in quantifying climate change strategies, reducing food waste is the single greatest solution to reverse climate change, which could draw 87 gigatons of CO2 out of the atmosphere, way ahead of a global plant-based … Continue reading →

Trends in Recycling of EPS Foam

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Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, commonly known as styrofoam, the ubiquitous lightweight material used in packaging of electronic devices, food items and electric appliances, is popularly used because of its water and heat resistant properties. These properties likewise make it a preferred material for disposable food containers such as bowls, plates and coffee cups. Due to its popularity, the global demand for EPS foam and its production is steadily increasing.  According to GBI Research, the global demand for both polystyrene and EPS increased to 14.9 million tons in 2010 from 13 million tons in 2000.1 This is expected to further swell … Continue reading →

Analysis of a Composting Facility

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The composting process is a complex interaction between the waste and the microorganisms within the waste. The microorganisms that carry out this process fall into three groups: bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are a form of fungi-like bacteria that break down organic matter. The first stage of the biological activity is the consumption of easily available sugars by bacteria, which causes a fast rise in temperature. The second stage involves bacteria and actinomycetes that cause cellulose breakdown. The last stage is concerned with the breakdown of the tougher lignins by fungi. The composting process occurs when biodegradable waste is piled together … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Pathways

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Waste-to-energy is the use of modern combustion and biological technologies to recover energy from urban wastes. The conversion of waste material to energy can proceed along three major pathways – thermochemical, biochemical and physicochemical. Thermochemical conversion, characterized by higher temperature and conversion rates, is best suited for lower moisture feedstock and is generally less selective for products. On the other hand, biochemical technologies are more suitable for wet wastes which are rich in organic matter. 1. Thermochemical Conversion of Waste The three principal methods of thermochemical conversion of MSW are combustion (in excess air), gasification (in reduced air), and pyrolysis (in … Continue reading →

Methods for Aluminium Recycling

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The demand for aluminium products is growing steadily because of their positive contribution to modern living. Aluminium is the second most widely used metal whereas the aluminum can is the most recycled consumer product in the world. Aluminium finds extensive use in air, road and sea transport, food and medicine, packaging, construction, electronics and electrical power transmission. The excellent recyclability of aluminium, together with its high scrap value and low energy needs during recycling make aluminium highly desirable to one and all. The global aluminium demand is forecasted to soar to nearly 70 million tons by 2020 from around 37 … Continue reading →

Animal Waste Management in Africa

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Livestock and poultry production are among the main economic activities in rural as well as urban areas of African countries.The livestock sector, in particular sheep, goats and camels, plays an important role in the national economy of African countries. In addition, the region has witnessed very rapid growth in the poultry sector. Livestock industry and poultry industries, however, are contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions and waste crisis in Africa due to the absence of a sustainable animal waste management system. Most of the manure is collected in lagoons or left to decompose in the open which presents a severe … Continue reading →

Fuel Pellets from Solid Wastes

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Municipal solid waste is a poor-quality fuel and its pre-processing is necessary to convert it into fuel pellets to improve its consistency, storage properties, handling characteristics, combustion behaviour and calorific value. Technological improvements are taking place in the realms of advanced source separation of MSW, resource recovery and production of MSW fuel pellets in both existing and new plants for this purpose. There has been an increase in global interest in the preparation of MSW fuel pellets or Refuse Derived Fuel (or RDF) so let us take a close look at this interesting alternative fuel. Pelletization of Muncipal Solid Waste … Continue reading →