Need for recycling plastics stressed

Speaking at the first Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference Middle East, Acting Under Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water, Dr Mariam Al Shanasi stressed that a lot more has to be done in order to raise awareness on the use of plastic and related products in the UAE. Mariam was the keynote speaker at the two-day conference which opened on Monday. It was realised that waste management is essential in the country. “The ministry is placing a lot of focus on increasing awareness at grass-root levels,” said Mariam. Families and individuals need to be educated on the importance of recycling. The numbers are still very high since people are still dumping plastic.” She added that the current focus is to work with stakeholders and find ways to reduce use of plastic and encourage recycling. A delegate from Krones Middle East and North Africa, a German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer, said that his company recorded a turnover of Euros 200 million in the MENA region last year. Area Manager of Kronos, Jamil Chammout, an exhibitor at the conference said, “Business is moving very well despite the state of the economy”. Meanwhile, General Manager of Paklite, Bilal Effendi said, “the recycling industry is still nascent here. Rules, regulations and norms are coming up slowly and the government is doing a lot to raise awareness.   But, from 2,000 to 3,000 tonnes of PET bottles produced every month, only 1,000 tonnes is being recycled. The remaining 2,000 go into landfills.” Effendi added, that companies are not shying away from investing in recycling, even though it is an expensive procedure. General Manager of Centre of Waste Management, Abu Dhabi, Hamad Al Ameri said that the Abu Dhabi government has launched several projects towards recycling.     “The most popular ones are the tyre recycling and oil recycling projects. A lot is being done to raise awareness, as well,” said Al Ameri. Speaking to Khaleej Times at the sidelines of the conference, Director of Waste Management Department, Dubai Municipality, Abdulmajeed Abdulaziz Saifaie said: “It is great to see that all the Emirates are doing their bit towards waste management and recycling.” He explained that the current priority is to support private recycling companies. Saifaie explained that the Ministry is holding several activities for school children studying at the primary level.