It therefore comes as no surprise that Dubai is associated with luxury and ostentatious structures, which has led to perceptions that the emirate is overdoing it in terms of waste. However, it brings us to another alarming but commendable result on our management of wastes and or sustainable practices in the city. Presently, the government and people of Dubai have embraced the following strategies to enhance environmental management.
The first and possibly the most significant plan implemented in Dubai is the Dubai Integrated Waste Management Master Plan. Hence, this long-term and strategic waste management plan seeks to ensure that 75% of waste is recycled and thereby reduced landfill disposal to 25% by 2025. Tackling the issue of waste and emissions, the city has provided significant funds to recycling Depots and waste to energy plants to recycle waste into valuable commodity. Currently, the Dubai Municipality uses sorting and recycling facilities, which means that more than half of the litter collected are sent for reprocessing.
As it has been mentioned earlier, waste management in Dubai includes recycling, as well as the implementation of waste-to-energy solutions. It is in the process of establishing one of the largest Waste to Energy plant to convert solid wastes to electricity as well as an effort to decrease dependency on fossil fuel and to minimize emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc. This plant is expected to process 1MW during the first phase of implementation of the plant to the facility. Around 9 million tonnes of waste and as much as enough electricity to light about 120,000 homes a year.
That is why the UAE, including Dubai specifically, actively focuses on waste reduction through the use of propaganda and legal actions. The population of Dubai is encouraged to use their reusable bottles through recommendations as seen on “Dubai Can” for example. It has also prohibited the use of single-use plastics and has policies towards encouraging companies to go green.
Furthermore, a construction industry of Dubai is one of the noteworthy risky areas for potential waste generation, that is, at the same time, is introducing green building standards. The use of sustainable construction is also governed and regulated by the Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications which require that developments, as they are constructed, should be environmentally friendly.
When people look at Dubai, they refer it as a luxurious city; however, little do they know about the city’s waste management and sustainable strategies. While cutting edge steps and sustainable methods are becoming a trend in most global cities, it is notable that even extravagant Dubai is not to be left behind in this race to a cleaner environment.
