Waste reduction is one of the biggest issues faced by Dubai today, according to the city’s municipal body for city services and the upkeep of facilities in the Emirate. The man heading the waste department in Dubai Municipality explains his vision of making the city waste free by the next decade.
“We have big challenges to overcome,” says Abdul Majeed Abdulaziz Saifaie, Director of Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality.
“Our target is 2021. As per the UAE agenda, His Highness put forth specific goals for Dubai and the rest of the emirates.
Saifaie spoke candidly about the effort the Dubai Municipality has made in the past five years to reduce Dubai’s waste, and what it hopes to accomplish over the next decade with new strategies and plans.
One of the most prominent is the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy for 2030 which aims to reduce energy demand by 30 per cent, as well as zero waste by 2030.
“Our masterplan is to hit a target of zero waste by 2030 through five phases, of which we are not only on track, but ahead of schedule.”
Almost 8,000 tonnes of waste is currently going into the landfill in Dubai, said Saifaie. “We are of course expecting this to increase as population grows.”
But he said that he hopes to divert 75 per cent of this waste from landfills by 2021 as it starts to be used to maximum capacity.
