EcoWaste Forum Examines Challenges, Opportunities In MENA’s Integrated Waste Management Sector

EcoWaste Forum, hosted by Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2019, highlighted the challenge of rising levels of waste in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as well as the unique investment opportunities in the region’s integrated waste management sector amid rapid urbanization.

Featuring four panels, the Forum brought together leading waste management innovators and specialists as well as key industry and business stakeholders to discuss the latest eco-friendly waste management, recycling and waste-to-energy solutions.

In his welcome speech, Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Acting General Manager of Tadweer, said: “Hosting this event aligns with Tadweer’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s sustainability agenda through providing a dedicated platform to advance sustainable waste management and recycling. Tadweer is keen to share its expertise with its partners in the waste management sector to address the sustainability challenges facing our communities and the planet at large.”

He added: “The discussions taking place at this Forum will undoubtedly strengthen our resolve and enhance our ability to adopt measures that ensure a cleaner and more sustainable environment for future generations. Through convening industry experts and leading solutions providers, EcoWaste Forum offers us an unparalleled opportunity to build long-term partnerships with like-minded entities to develop effective and sustainable waste management strategies and solutions.”

The event kicked off with a presentation on Abu Dhabi’s waste management strategy, followed by a panel titled ‘Privatisation of the region’s waste sector’ that explored the measures needed to make waste disposal and landfill management attractive to the private sector, as well as the benefits this can bring to municipalities.

The panel included a session titled ‘In conversation: From municipal waste to bio jet fuel’ that outlined the progress of Tadweer’s collaboration with Etihad Airways to develop bio jet fuel and its advantages.

Speaking on Etihad’s role at Abu Dhabi Sustainability week in collaboration with Tadweer,
Mohammad Abdulla Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways Chief Operating Officer, said: “Sustainable energy sources are of fundamental importance to the future development of the aviation industry, and Etihad is excited to be part of this pioneering research to convert waste into a jet fuel through our partnership with Tadweer. As the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad is proud to share that we successfully carried out first biofuel flight using feedstock grown in the United Arab Emirates on 15 January (Tuesday) during the week of the exhibition to highlight our commitment towards the environment and towards supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision for a sustainable future.”

Titled ‘Can the region benefit from waste-to-resource systems?’, the second panel of the Forum examined the approaches of municipalities in the region to utilizing waste, such as the production of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuels (SDF), and their viability and cost-effectiveness.

The panel included the presentation of a case study titled ‘Innovations and new technologies: Using drones to hunt for waste’ that reviewed the methods to prevent waste, such as recyclable plastic, from reaching marine environments, particularly in destinations reliant on the tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the third panel, titled ‘Methods to super-charge the region’s recycling schemes’, examined ways to change people’s attitudes that hamper the success of recycling schemes in the region.

The panel included a presentation on ‘Defining “zero waste” – an impossible dream or opportunity for change?’ that outlined the elements of successful zero-waste policies and methods of achieving public buy-in.

The Forum concluded with a panel titled ‘Cutting back on single-use plastic: Practical approaches to reducing plastic waste’. It discussed feasible ways to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in circulation in the MENA region.

Tadweer is the key government entity responsible for all activities related to the development of waste management services in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste in a safe, efficient and economical manner. The center is also tasked with carrying out pest control, educating communities about the significance of protecting the environment, and encouraging them to adopt sound environmental habits to drive sustainable development.