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Not Enough Plastic In The U.A.E. |
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Bee’ah Urges Residents To Recycle Plastic To Meet Growing Industry Demand For Recycled Plastic MaterialsThe United Arab Emirates lead the world in per capita consumption of bottled water, according to a report by the Worldwatch Institute. An estimated 275 litres are consumed annually per person in the UAE, which is comfortably the highest consumption rate in the world. This makes up approximately between 350 to 450 bottles of water that go to waste by each person every year, of which only a small percentage of them end up being recycled. As it turns out, many U.A.E. residents dispose their used plastics in the general waste stream, which make up 10% of the total waste that ends up in landfills. Once recovered by waste management efforts, they are found to be unclean and cannot be reused. As a result, 400 tonnes of recycled plastic are being imported per month by several companies which require this important commodity to supply their operations. Bee’ah has set out plans to do something about that. A recent research by Bee’ah found that one of the highest contributors to the present recycling levels has been plastic with a 700% increase from the first quarter of the year 2010 to that of 2011. A total of 1,649 tonnes of PET plastic and 1,693 tonnes of mixed plastic were recovered from the general municipal waste stream generated by the city of Sharjah in 2010. Bee’ah estimates that there could be up to 5 to 6 times more plastic that could be recycled in Sharjah if it were disposed of properly by the community. ”There is a growing demand by U.A.E. companies to use recycled plastic materials, but unfortunately due to a lack of clean plastic bottles and containers as well as waste-scavenging, there is an insufficient supply of recycled plastic in our country.” explained Khaled Al Huraimel, Chief Executive Officer of Bee’ah. “To solve this issue, Bee’ah has already installed pedestrian 3-stream recyclers across Sharjah, as well as a recycling deport in Al Qasba to encourage residents to bring in their recyclables. We are also in the process of rolling out numerous other initiatives and infrastructure projects that aim to facilitate the community’s adoption of recycling as a habit that is easy and convenient to all. Additionally Bee’ah is also undergoing various activities to spread environmental awareness throughout the Emirate.” Several companies have invested and set up their organisation in the U.A.E., based on the expectation that there is a high potential for residents to use plastic water bottles and containers throughout their daily routines. According to BBC news, “The UAE has the highest per capita consumption of bottled water in the Middle East and it is set to increase by 50% over the next three years.” Al Huraimel added: “A number of companies have established their operations on the basis of the forecasted plastic consumption rates and reports of high expectations. However, the U.A.E. community is not recycling enough plastic to meet the demand for those companies who require recycled plastic materials, in order to turn this commodity into raw materials for their processes and thereby, help reduce the areas occupied by our growing landfills.” Bee’ah, the Middle East’s leading and award-winning integrated environmental and waste management company, is urging the community to recycle clean plastic to meet the increasing demand for companies who have invested in the green industry and which require recycled plastic materials. Only 38% of residents in Sharjah are actually sorting and placing this valuable commodity into recycle bins, Al Huraimel pointed out, there is still a majority of our society who need to contribute towards these recycling efforts as it not only leads to putting resources back into the economy, but helps divert waste from our landfills and save the environment. Plastic recycling is the process of reproducing new plastic material from used scrap and waste plastic. Recycling used plastic products utilizes 20% to 40% less energy than manufacturing new ones. Plastic is created by combining petroleum or natural gas with oxygen or chlorine which requires the burning of large amounts of oil. Recycling plastics help reduce oil consumption and saves 25% of landfill space; which otherwise could take up to 400 years to biodegrade if not recycled. It is important to always wash and rinse out plastic containers before taking them to a recycling centre. Bee’ah provides its community with a few recycling options such as the Public Recycling Depot presently at Al Qasba, Pedestrian Recyclers along prime locations around Sharjah and has rolled out a Residential Recycling pilot project to allow residents to begin recycling at home. There are seven different types of plastic, indicated by a category number which can be found on the bottom of the plastic container. The two most recyclable categories are: Marked “1”: This category contains PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastics. These plastics include: Marked “2”: This category contains HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastics. These plastics include: |
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