DM takes strategic measures to reduce waste

He said the municipality has, of late, signed five crucial contracts with private firms to recycle different kinds of waste in a bid to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

"Dubai has seen dramatic increase in waste over the past six years. In 2000, the emirate generated one million tonnes of waste, while it went up to almost three million tonnes in 2006 - an increase of 200 per cent," he said. In the same period, industrial and construction waste has also gone up from three million tonnes to 10.5 million tonnes, Lootah added.

"Household waste multiplies by 100 per cent every four years. It is collected from public areas, markets, housing and commercial compounds," he said.

The waste is taken to five dumping grounds in Al Qusais, Jebel Ali, Warsan, Al Hibab and Hatta, he added. The dump at Al Qusais is the largest, receiving some 75 per cent of the emirate's total waste, while the one in Jebel Ali accommodates some 23 per cent.

"These dumping sites are now in areas where housing and investment have crept in, which requires permanent strategic solutions for recycling and cutting down the rate of waste," he said.

Explaining the measures taken by the municipality to deal with increasing amount of waste, Lootah said the Warsan solid waste recycling station has been built in cooperation with a private firm to handle 4000 tonnes of solid waste a day.

The municipality has also recently formed a committee of environment and health officials to study thermal treatment of general waste. "The aim is to burn waste at a special plant, and the heat can be used for power generation," said Lootah.

Speaking about industrial and construction waste, he said: "The municipality has entered into a contract with Emirates Recycling of Al Rostamani Group to build a treatment plant in Al Lusaily area on the Al Ain-Jebel Ali road with an annual capacity of 9.5 million tonnes."
At present, construction waste is disposed of at a site in Al Warqa.

Lootah said some 20 million used tyres have accumulated since the early 1990s, and the municipality has allocated an area in Al Qusais for them and contracted a local company to build a treatment station to dispose of the tyres. Accumulation of used industrial and automotive lubricants has also become a greasy affair. In 2006, used lubricants amounted to some 90,000 tonnes.

"The municipality has authorized specialised companies to collect the used motor lubricants and grease for treatment and recycling," he said.

Recently the municipality contracted Al Serkal Group to build a plant for the treatment of grease in sewage discharge lines. The project will be executed within the sewage treatment area in Warsan. "Grease accumulating in sewage lines, especially near restaurants, hotels, and food product factories, has blocked the flow of sewage, hampering the flow of liquid waste in the network and compromising the hygiene," Lootah said.