Category Archives: Waste Management

إدارة المخلفات الطبية في دول الشرق الأوسط

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قطاع الرعاية الصحية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط ينمو بوتيرة سريعة جدا، الأمر الذي أدى بدوره إلى زيادة هائلة في كمية النفايات الطبية في المستشفيات والعيادات والمؤسسات الأخرى. وفقا للتقرير الصادر من وزارةا لشئون البيئة المصرية، مصر انتجت 28,300 طن من النفايات الطبية الخطرة في عام 2010. وفي منطقة الخليج، يتم انتاج أكثر من 150 طن من النفايات الطبية والمملكة العربية السعودية وحدها تنتج نصف هذة الكمية تقريبا. هذه الأرقام تدل على حجم المشكلة التي تواجهها السلطات البلدية في التعامل مع مشكلة التخلص من النفايات الطبية في جميع أنحاء منطقة الشرق الأوسط. حجم المشكلة الكمية المتزايدة من النفايات الطبية زادة من … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Potential in Saudi Arabia

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been grappling with the problem of solid waste in recent years. Around 15 million tons of municipal solid waste is generated in the country each year with per capita average of 1.4 kg per day. Depending on the population density and urban activities of that area, the major ingredients of Saudi Arabian MSW 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. Due to high population growth rate, (3.4% per annum), rapid urbanization (1.5% per annum) … Continue reading →

Food Waste, Ramadan and the Middle East

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With the holy month of Ramadan only a few days away, huge food wastage in the Middle East is again hogging limelight. It is a widely acccepted fact that almost half of the municipal solid waste stream in the Middle East is comprised of food wastes and associated matter. The increasing amount of food waste in the Middle East urgently demands a strong food waste management strategy to ensure its minimization and eco-friendly disposal.  Food Waste in Ramadan Middle East nations are acknowleded as being the world’s top food wasters, and during Ramadan the situation takes a turn for the worse. In 2012, the Dubai Municipality … Continue reading →

Community Engagement in Recycling Initiatives in Qatar

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The current state of environmental custodianship in Qatar leaves much to be desired from the national government and other institutions that publicly endorse initiatives with much fan-fare but do not commit to sustained action. My previous piece titled “Environmental Initiatives in Middle East – Challenges and Remedies” illuminated some of these gaps, but did not provide a detailed description of what underpins this trend and possible solutions might look like. Thus, this article seeks to delve deeper into how state institutions and civil society in Qatar may be able to work cooperatively in staving off further environmental degradation, especially with … Continue reading →

Waste Management Implications of 3D Printing

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The rapid deployment of 3D printing is one of the most exciting developments since the appearance of the smart phone. This is technology with some serious potential to change how and where goods are manufactured, transforming supply chains. The New Scientist has gone so far as to herald 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, as ushering in a second industrial revolution. But is anyone thinking about how what this new development means for the waste sector? Whilst the technology is already being put to some dubious uses, the ability to manufacture pretty much anything wherever and whenever it’s needed is certainly appealing. Interest isn’t … Continue reading →

Introduction to MRF

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A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is a building to receive, sort, process and store recyclable materials to be shipped and marketed to end-users. A materials recovery facility accepts materials, whether source separated or mixed, and separates, processes and stores them for later use as raw materials for remanufacturing and reprocessing. The main function of the MRF is to maximize the quantity of recyclables processed, while producing materials that will generate the highest possible revenues in the market. MRFs can also function to process wastes into a feedstock for biological conversion or into a fuel source for the production of energy. MRFs … Continue reading →

Recycling of PVC – Prospects and Challenges

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PVC, also known as Polyvinyl Chloride or Vinyl, is one of the most widely used plastics worldwide due to its chemical stability and durability. PVC products have an average lifetime of 30 years, with some reaching 50 or more years.  This means that more PVC products are reaching the end-of-life and entering the waste stream, and the amount is likely to increase significantly in the near future. The Middle East will ultimately have to deal with increased PVC waste as it is one of the markets expected to have high growth rates for PVC consumption, with developing countries in the … Continue reading →

How to Improve E-Waste Management

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Arguably, e-waste is fast becoming the defining issue of our age. Sure, plastics are a huge problem, and the true impact of our plastic production and consumption is only now coming to light. However, recent shifts in attitudes towards single-use packaging and other forms of non-recyclable plastics seems to be making some traction, and across the globe people are beginning to wake up to the destructive consequences of our reliance on plastics of all types. The increase in electronic waste, however, shows no sign of slowing. Current estimates suggest that around two-thirds of the world population own a smartphone, with … Continue reading →

5 Reason Why We Should Teach Our Children More About Recycling

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When you give children everything they want and need, it doesn’t take long for them to think resources are limitless. That the fuel for your car will always be available to take them to sports practice, and that even all those plastic containers they use don’t end up in the rubbish collection then the environment. Without education on finite resources and a suffering planet, children won’t make an effort to be more conscientious with how they live their life on this earth. As early as possible, it’s critical to start teaching children about the importance of recycling and living an … Continue reading →

Trash Talk from Doha

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On arriving a few years ago from a town in the UK that boasts a university course in waste management, and a very efficient weekly recyclable waste collection from our houses, I was a bit shocked, like many Europeans by how difficult it was to recycle in Doha. Having had the moral obligation to recycle drummed into me since I was quite young, I felt guilty throwing away all my waste into one bin, destined to fill up a huge smelly hole in the desert, where it would take a long time, if not forever to biodegrade. The Real Picture … Continue reading →

Eco-friendly Tyre Manufacturing: Achieving Sustainable, Green, Cleaner Production

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We all have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment. Fortunately, more of us are aware of those harmful everyday habits previous generations overlooked than ever today. For example, widespread coverage of plastic pollution has encouraged people to cut down on plastic consumption and take advantage of alternatives. And that’s a crucial aspect of building a greener global culture, considering eight million pieces of plastic enter oceans every single day, posing significant danger to marine life. One problematic product billions of people use every single day is the humble car tyre. It’s so easy to take them for … Continue reading →

Disposal of Waste Tires

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Tens of millions of tires are discarded across the Middle East every year. Disposal of  waste tires is a challenging task because tires have a long life and are non-biodegradable. The traditional method of disposal of waste tires have been stockpiling or illegally dumping or landfilling, all of which are short-term solution. Menace of Waste Tires Stockpiled tires provide perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, vermin and snakes. Accidental fires caused in tire dumps can rage for months releasing toxic fumes. For example, a massive fire broke out at Jahra dumpsite in Kuwait in April 2012 where more than 5 million … Continue reading →

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