A new whitepaper released online from the UK-based publication The Economist Intelligence Unit examines the state of waste management and recycling in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The whitepaper, entitled Towards zero: Rethinking recycling in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, examines the state of waste management in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and identifies priorities for accelerating recycling.
Graphic via the Economist Intelligence Unit.
“There are several recycling projects underway in the region, but more focused efforts on priority streams—food waste, construction and demolition waste and e-waste—can improve landfill diversion rates. Public engagement to encourage source separation can have a positive impact on recycling efficiency, making recycling a more commercially viable endeavor for potential investors.”
This report combines extensive desk research and insights from expert interviews.
In the largest Middle Eastern economies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), waste generation per person “was estimated at 1.4kg and 1.6kg per person per day, respectively, in 2016. This is significantly higher than the average for Middle East and North Africa (0.8kg) but lower than that of North America (2.2kg).”
The paper notes that while “almost all the waste from homes and offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia is collected. But of this, only a small share is recycled (about 20-30% in the UAE and 10-15% in Saudi Arabia3 compared with 61% in Singapore and 35% in the US), with the rest making its way to landfills.”
“To accelerate recycling in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, governments must focus on prioritizing waste streams,” the whitepaper concludes. “Priority streams for the region include food waste, construction and demolition waste and e-waste…Recycling of traditional waste streams— including paper, glass and aluminum—have well-developed business models that waste management companies can adopt.”
[Click here to download and view the whitepaper]
