Category Archives: Waste Management

Solid Waste Management in the Middle East – Major Challenges

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Middle East is one of the most prolific waste generating regions of the world. Solid waste management in the Middle East is bogged down by major challenges like lavish lifestyles, ineffective legislation, infrastructural roadblocks, indifferent public attitude and lack of environmental awareness. High standards of living are contributing to more generation of waste which when coupled with lack of waste collection and disposal facilities have transformed ‘trash’ into a liability. Major Hurdles The general perception towards waste is that of indifference and apathy. Waste is treated as ‘waste’ rather than as a ‘resource’. There is an urgent need to increase … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Outlook for the Middle East

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High-income Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait are counted as world’s largest waste producers in terms of per capita waste generation which is more than 2kg per day in some countries. The urban waste generation from the region has now crossed 150 million tons per year which has forced policy-makers and urban planners to seriously look for sustainable waste management solutions, including recycling and waste-to-energy. Let us take a look at solid waste generation in major countries across the Middle East region: Country MSW Generation (million tons per annum) Saudi Arabia 15 United Arab Emirates … Continue reading →

A Quick Glance at Composting Methods

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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 lignin by fungi. Types of Composting There are 3 broad types of composting methods—anaerobic composting, aerobic composting, … Continue reading →

مشكلة رمي النفايات في الأردن

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في الماضي القريب، كانت عمان تعتبر واحدة من أنظف المدن في العالم,  حالياً، وكما هو الحال في البلدان الأخرى، يشكل رمي النفايات على الأرض في المناطق العامة مشكلة بيئية متزايدة في الأردن, والتي بدورها تشوه المظهر العام للبلاد كما أن لها آثاراً خطيرة على البيئة والإقتصاد والصحة العامة. “القمامة غير المرئية“ تعتبر ظاهرة الرمي العشوائي للنفايات كارثة وطنية، حيث تنتشر النفايات المختلفة مثل العلب المعدنية والأكياس البلاستيكية وأعقاب السجائر والمحارم وأغلفة الطعام والإطارات القديمة على جوانب الطرق. لتسليط الضوء على المشكلة, قامت كاتبة المقال بدراسة ماسحة في عام 2011، حيث كشفت الدراسة عن المفاهيم الخاطئة لدى العامة لمفهوم “النظافة” في … Continue reading →

الاثار الضاره لرمي النفايات

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يعد رمي  النفايات خطر شائع يمكن للمرء ان يشهده في جميع المناطق الحضريه, حيث الشوارع و الارصفه و مواقف السيارات و الطرق السريعه اغلبها مغطاه باغلفه المواد الغذائيه و زجاجات المياه و المشروبات الغازيه و الاكياس البلاستيكيه و النشرات الدعائيه و اعقاب السجائر بالاضافه الى المناديل الصحيه و الاوراق و غيرها. 1.9 بليون طن ما يقدر سنويا من النفايات ينتهي بها المطاف في المحيطات , مما يدل بشكل واضح على ان الناس يميلون الى رمي الاشياء عشوائيا في اي مكان على القيام  برميها في صناديق القمامه. لايعد رمي هذه  القمامه مشكله جماليه فحسب و انما  مشكله بيئيه لها عواقب وخيمه … Continue reading →

What is Vermicomposting

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Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the process of organic waste conversion and produce a better end-product. It is a mesophilic process utilizing microorganisms and earthworms. Earthworms feeds the organic waste materials and passes it through their digestive system and gives out in a granular form (cocoons) which is known as vermicompost. Simply speaking, vermicompost is earthworm excrement, called castings, which can improve biological, chemical, and physical properties of the soil. The chemical secretions in the earthworm’s digestive tract help break down soil and organic matter, so the castings contain … Continue reading →

Solid Waste Management Challenges in GCC

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The challenges posed by solid waste to governments and communities are many and varied. In the GCC region, where most countries have considerably high per capita waste generation values, the scale of the waste management challenge faced by civic authorities is even bigger. Fast-paced industrial growth, recent construction boom, increasing population, rapid urbanisation, and vastly improved lifestyle coupled with unsustainable consumption patterns have all contributed to the growing waste crisis in the GCC. Among the GCC nations, United Arab Emirates has the highest municipal solid waste generation per capita of 2.2 kg (which is among the highest worldwide) followed closely … Continue reading →

The Problem of Used Lead-Acid Batteries

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Lead-acid batteries are widely used on a mass-scale in all parts of the world.  They act as power sources in a wide-range of equipment and appliances used by households, commerce and industry. Lead-acid batteries finds wide application in all modes of modern transport including cars, trucks, buses, boats, trains, rapid mass-transit systems, recreational vehicles etc. During power-cuts, lead-acid batteries provide emergency power for critical operations such as air-traffic control towers, hospitals, railroad crossings, military installations, submarines, and weapons systems. All automotive batteries and 95 percent of industrial batteries are lead-acid secondary cells. Harmful Impacts of Batteries Lead-acid batteries contain sulphuric acid … Continue reading →

Recycling of Aluminium Cans

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Aluminium is a soft, durable and lightweight metal, made from Bauxite ore, which is mined from the earth. Bauxite is converted into alumina, a fine white powder, which is then smelted at over 700°C to become aluminium, which is one of the versatile products universally being used by consumers in a number of applications. The process is expensive and uses huge resources, including energy and fuel. Making cans out of aluminium for storing soft drinks and juices is one of the commonly used phenomenons as it takes five tonnes of Bauxite to make just one tonne of aluminium cans. Many … Continue reading →

Plastic Waste Management in UAE

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Plastics are an inseparable part of modern society. However, their safe disposal is a big and highly challenging issue. A typical UAE resident uses 450 plastic water bottles on an average in a single year1. With the equivalent of 43 gallons on an average per person in 2011, the United Arab Emirates had the fourth-highest level of bottled water consumption in the world. A whopping 11 billion plastic bags are used annually, according to statistics from UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water. This goes on to add up to an annual overall waste of 912.5 kilogram per capita2, 3, and 4. These … Continue reading →

Kia and The Waste Lab Partner to Raise Awareness on the Reality of Food Waste

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Kia Corporation partnered with Dubai-based start-up, The Waste Lab, and launched a three-stage GCC based campaign whilst transforming food waste into healthy compost. The partnership, commenced at the start of Ramadan, nudging consumers to rethink their practices and mindset around food wastage. The Waste Lab is a women-led, impact-driven startup based in the UAE, with a mission to reduce and repurpose food waste. Kia has always been an advocate of sustainable mobility solutions. In line with their vision of creating a positive impact on the environment, Kia is facilitating The Waste Lab as part of the collaboration with the Kia … Continue reading →

نصائح لتقليل النفايات الغذائية

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تبذير الطعام له آثار بيئية واقتصادية وكذلك الاجتماعية.  ارتفاع نصيب الفرد من الدخل والإنفاق، ومستويات المعيشة، القدرة على تحمل التكاليف و اللامبالاة تجاه الطعام كلها عوامل لها تأثير سلبي كبير على مواردنا المحدودة. في مراكز التسوق والمطاعم على سبيل المثال ، من الشائع أن نرى كميات متراكمة من الطعام غير المستهلك كليا أو جزئيا. للأسف، الرفاهية تؤدي إلى تفشي  توليد النفايات الغذائية في جميع أنحاء الشرق الأوسط، وخاصة دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي. خطورة الوضع يمكن قياسها من كون أن أكثر من 300 طن من النفايات الغذائية يتم توليدها يوميا  في البحرين وهذا يشكل حوالي 11٪ من إجمالي  نفايات البلدية . … Continue reading →