EAD issues waste management policies and guide

The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD, in collaboration with Tadweer, the Centre of Waste Management, has issued a set of policies and guidelines with the aim of reinforcing sustainable waste management in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The new policies include waste planning policy, waste classification policy, waste permitting and enforcement policy, waste collection, separation, transportation and tracking policy, waste re-use, re-cycling and treatment policies, in addition to a technical guide for waste classification.

Over the past decades, Abu Dhabi's waste management system and its supporting infrastructure has grown opportunistically rather than systematically based on integrated planning. While the emirate's waste management system has proved effectively at collecting waste from where it has been generated and removing it out-of-sight, there are significant gaps in the infrastructure and processes.

Working alongside its stakeholders, EAD recently led efforts on developing an overall strategy for waste management in Abu Dhabi. The strategy outlines roles and responsibilities, in addition to detailing mechanisms for the development and adoption of policies, regulations, guidelines and executive decrees.

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General of EAD, said, "As a result of the population growth and economic development of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the waste management sector has recently seen a rise in the waste quantities being produced per day over the past few years. For example, waste generation in the emirate increased from 9.7 million tonnes in 2009 to 11.9 tonnes in 2013."

Al Mubarak added, "We in light of these challenges, we have issued these policies along with a guide to reduce the waste-related environmental and health risks, and to continue working towards our commitment to protect the environment and the people's overall well-being."

Eisa Saif Al-Qubaisi, General Manager of Tadweer, highlighted the centre's key role in effective waste management through the collaboration with various public and private entities from the health and environment sector to safeguard public health. "Our partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi will see us establish a holistic system which ensures that Abu Dhabi's waste management system is a safe, efficient and economically-viable process," Al-Qubaisi explained.

"The new policies will serve as a guiding framework for the waste sector, and will aid us in our mission to creating a completely integrated system that encourages recycling and reusing, and reducing the waste sent to landfills. This step marks a major milestone in our contribution towards the government's strategy to further transform Abu Dhabi into a city that continues to meet global standards," he added.

Source: WAM