Oman Leads UAE in Recycling by Using Fujairah Facility

The Times of Oman (via Zawya) is reporting a major advance in recycling and environmental concern in Oman that is made possible by a new company based in Fujairah, UAE.

The report from Muscat says:
“Tanuf (National Mineral Water Co.) has taken the lead as a major investor in setting up the first PET recycling facility in the region.”

“Horizon Technologies FZE (HTF) is the state-of-the-art PET recycling facility set up in Fujairah, UAE with an annual capacity to recycle 20,000 tonnes of Post Consumer PET Bottles (PCPB).”

“Tanuf joins the plastic recycling project of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) and carries it forward by delivering the collected bottles to the recycling plant in Fujairah.”

“As part of the project, PET disposal bins will be placed at housing and commercial complexes, colleges, restaurants and commercial institutions. Tanuf has urged the residents of Oman to dispose off all types of PET bottles at the nearest Tanuf disposal bin and contribute towards reducing the carbon footprint. Carbon footprint is simply termed as the amount of green house gas emission resulting from activity consuming electricity and/or any type of fuel.”

“Nida Helou, ESO, manager said: 'The Environment Society of Oman is pleased to join hands with Tanuf to expand our recycling project. Recycling plastic saves raw materials, water and energy and hence contributes to minimising our ecological footprint. However, we cannot succeed in this initiative without the joint effort of each and every one of you. So help us make a difference by segregating your plastic bottles.'”

“PCPB will be collected from the bins, baled and shipped to HTF at Fujairah for recycling. The used PET bottles would then be recycled into flakes and pellets (RPET) for manufacturing value added packaging products for non-food applications such as PET containers and bottles, PET sheets and thermoformed products like egg trays etc. Recycling one tonne of PET saves approximately 5700 KWH of electricity and approximately 700 gallons of oil. For example, an empty 1.5ltr Tanuf bottle, if recycled, will save enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for approximately five hours.”

What About Fujairah?
While there are recycling bins that have been placed at one or two educational institutions such as the Fujairah Women’s College (HCT), the Fujairah Municipality, in partnership with the Emirates Environmental group must similarly provide bins at Fujairah housing and commercial complexes, colleges, restaurants and commercial institutions. At the moment, only the ardent environmentalists will take their plastics and newspapers to the HCT College. Bins are needed alongside the existing rubbish skips and within easy reach of every home.

As is happening in Oman, Fujairah also needs an extensive education programme to teach people about the dangers of throwing plastic away and the advantages that come to everybody when plastic and other waste are recycled for further use.

Recycle Fujairah
We have the rubbish—plenty of plastic everywhere!

We have in Fujairah this new and progressive company, Horizon Technologies, located in the Freezone by the Fujairah Port, that, since June 2008 offers state of the art recycling facilities. It has an enormous capacity to recycle all of the plastic waste in this emirate and transform it into new bottles and egg trays.

We do not have the recycling bins with colour-coding (see picture) so people can separate plastics, glass, paper etc. This is a missing link.

We do not have the education that will train us all to move from a culture of chucking to conserving.

Oman Gives a Lead
It is ironic that Oman is moving strenuously in recycling and using Fujairah facilities while Fujairah is lagging behind when it has a twenty-first century recycling plant at its own back door.

To read further:
Tanuf Sets up Disposal Bins in Oman to Collect Used PET Bottles for Recycling, Zawya, 13 October 2008.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Recycling Bins at HCT Women’s College. To read more, follow this link.