TOWARDS INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ABU DHABI

2013

ANNUAL POLICY BRIEF

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi Call us: +971 2 4454777 E-mail us: customerservice@ead.ae Know more about us: www.ead.ae

The Center of Waste Managment - Abu Dhabi Call us: +971 2 818555 Know more about us: www.cwm.ae

Cornich-Abu Dhabi

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Since its establishment, the United Arab Emirates has put forth sustained efforts toward striking a balance between economic and social growth and the preservation of its cultural, social and environmental heritage, to ensure sustainable development for the present and future generation.
H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates.

ABOUT THIS POLICY BRIEF

This policy brief is published annually by the environment Agency-Abu Dhabi in cooperation with The Center of Waste Management Abu Dhabi with the purpose of exchanging information and ideas about current and future public policies to facilitate sustainable management of solid waste in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is available for download in pdf format from the Publications section at www.ead.ae and www.cwm.ae. For inquiries or feedback, contact EADs customer relations department at customerservice@ead.ae. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ABU DHABI (EAD) 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this brochure may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright holders. Application for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher, in accordance with the international copyright Act 1956 and the UAE federal law no. (7) of 2002, concerning copyrights and neighboring rights, any person acting in contravention of this will be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. Cover Photo: Green Compost Plant in Abu Dhabi, Mafraq. by Center of Waste Management - ABU DHABI ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - ABU DHABI Call us: +971 2 4454777 E-mail us: customerservice@ead.ae Know more about us: www.ead.ae CENTER Of WASTE MANAGEMENT - ABU DHABI Call us: +971 2 6172000 Know more about us: www.cwm.ae

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF KEY ENTITIES IN WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR

According to Federal Law No. 24 of 1999, Local Law No. 16 of 2005 and local Law No. 21 of 2005, the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) is the Competent Authority for developing the government strategy and targets as well as for regulating the waste management sector and enforcing the laws and regulations. The Centre for Waste Management Abu Dhabi (CWM) is responsible for operating the waste management sector together with

private sector contractors, developing the infrastructure, setting prices and managing the overall operational budget and public investment programmes based on the Law No. 17 of 2008. CWM is also responsible for identifying and adopting the appropriate technologies, for integrated waste management. The Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) is also a key actor in the waste management sector. DMA is responsible for setting standards that contribute to better practice in waste generation as well as for monitoring and inspecting illegal waste dumping. Table 1 shows the demarcation of roles and responsibilities between EAD, CWM and DMA.

Table 1: Roles and responsibilities of EAD, CWM and DMA in waste management sector in Abu Dhabi Emirate
Entity

Roles and Responsibilities

Developing a comprehensive framework of regulation, standards and policies to protect the environment. Monitoring the environmental impact of the waste management system (i.e. related to air, water, and soil pollution), and adopting standards and regulation. Inspecting waste management facilities permitted by EAD to ensure compliance with relevant environmental laws and regulations. Promoting awareness on the environmental impact of waste and influencing the behaviour of waste generators. Promoting research related to the environmental impact of the waste management system

Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD)

Centre of Waste Management Abu Dhabi (CWM)

Ensuring the implementation of the principles of integrated waste management in the Emirate. Defining the operational strategy for the waste management sector Tracking waste generation and ensuring adequate waste management system capacity. Permitting and inspecting all Environmental Service Providers operating in the waste management sector. Tendering for and awarding public service contracts and concessions; tracking performance of service providers and managing the contracts Pricing of services and proposing of gate fees (tipping fees). Reporting to the competent authority about the progress in waste management sector. Coordinating waste management operations with the other emirates where necessary. Monitoring and inspecting the Emirate for illegal waste dumping, investigating related reports, fining identified offenders, and ensuring timely clean-up Setting standards, managing construction and maintenance for local roads in residential and municipal areas (types of litterbins by the roadside with/without waste segregation; road sweeping procedures; etc.) Setting building standards for all new buildings (including for waste chutes and waste collection points in apartment buildings). Encouraging/mandating use of recyclables in public works projects involving DMA or municipalities (e.g. recycled Construction and Demolition crushed aggregate in road building; compost for public green area maintenance) Ensuring implementation of Abu Dhabi EHSMS requirements for the construction & commercial sectors as set by the Department of Municipal Affairs and the Abu Dhabi EHS Centre Managing City Image Project

Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA)

Medical and Hazardous Waste dumped in Al Dhafra

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS BRIEF

1) ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF KEY ENTITIES IN WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR 2) SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES
Over 10 million tonnes of waste each year and projected to grow Missed recovery opportunities from 64% of waste Only 28% of waste management costs are recovered by the existing tariff scheme A strengthened legal framework is needed

3)

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

A vision to divert more than 85% of waste from landfills Investment in waste: Developing the infrastructure and the funding model. A clear path for integrated legal and policy development Key projects in the right direction

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

Abu Dhabi aims to be amongst the leading countries in waste management by 2030. It needs to invest in infrastructure for treatment, material recovery and disposal, upgrade the legal framework, as well as provide incentives and raise awareness amongst consumers and producers on the advantages of reducing, reusing and recycling of waste.

Figure 1: Total amounts of waste produced is increasing

Source: Waste Statistics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2011, Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi.

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

OVER 10 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE EACH YEAR AND PROJECTED TO GROW

According to the most recent figures (2011), the total amount of waste generated within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is estimated to be 10.69 million tonnes/year. This is broken down in Table 2 as follows: 10.565 million tonnes/year of non-hazardous and 126,155 tonnes/ year for hazardous waste. The largest waste stream is Construction and Demolition (C&D), which accounts for 71% of the total waste generated in Abu Dhabi Emirate, followed by Municipal Waste (MSW), which accounts for 10.3% of waste generation.

Figure 1 depicts the increase in waste production over the past years, where the total amount of waste increased about 11% from 2009 to 2011. The generation of C&D waste increased by 8% from 2009 to 2011 and is expected to increase by approximately 2% annually; MSW also increased by 8% during the same period and is expected to increase by approximately 6%. Moreover, there is no systematic waste classification or comprehensive waste composition information. Currently data collection has to rely largely on aggregated unaudited data from contractors and thus cannot be assumed to be very reliable.

Table1: Quantity of waste generated yearly in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (2011)
TYPE OF WASTE
Construction & Demolition Waste C & D waste C & D mixed waste Industrial and Commercial waste Agriculture waste General agriculture waste Agriculture mixed waste Animal waste Municipal waste Households, streets, and public gardens waste Bulky waste Sludge Oil and Gas Waste Other (Tires waste) Total quantity of Non-Hazardous waste generated Percentage of Non-Hazardous waste generated Industrial Medical Slaughterhouses Wastes Fallen stocks Other Oil and Gas sector Total quantity of Hazardous waste generated Total quantity waste generated in Abu Dhabi Source: Waste Statistics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2011, Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi. These figures may vary with the implimentation of a more comprehensive data collection system.

Quantity (Tonnes/Year)
Abu Dhabi City Al Ain Western Region Total

NonHazardous Solid waste

6,785,331 4,316,730 2,468,601 590,808 239,166 42,024 150,792 46,350 726,768 540,750 186,018 135,000 0 7,416 8,484,489 %80.31

724,914 679,800 45,114 37,080 175,203 10,506 132,252 32,445 287,679 241,329 46,350 0 0 1,545 1,226,421 %11.61 19,503 5,037 26,883 10,506 64,226 126,155

114,330 78,795 35,535 15,450 401,700 10,815 313,635 77,250 91,155 77,250 13,905 0 228,396 3,090 854,121 %8.08

7,624,575 5,075,325 2,549,250 643,338 816,069 63,345 596,679 156,045 1,105,602 859,329 246,273 135,000 228,396 12,051 10,565,031 %100

Hazardous Solid waste

10,691,186

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

This infrastructure is clearly insufficient to address the current challenges to treat legacy waste, and the challenges Abu Dhabi might face in the near future if the population continues growing as forecasted. As a result of this lack of infrastructure, waste streams are mixed and unsuitable for recycling resulting in most waste being sent to dumpsites. The largest controlled dumpsite is Al Dhafra Landfill covering an area of nearly 1,000 hectares. It is estimated that there is between 60 and 90 million tonnes of mixed waste deposited at this site. Dumpsites contain a lot of legacy waste which is growing by approximately 6 to 8 million tonnes per year.

Recycling in Abu Dhabi is far below its potential and vast quantities of valuable resources are being wasted by sending them to landfill. In Abu Dhabi only 36% of waste was recovered in 2011, according to the report entitled Waste statistics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2011, published by the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi. This is not so far from the European average. According to the European Environment Agency , in 35 ,2010 % of MSW was recycled in Europe overall. However, in some countries this percentage was much higher. Recycling rates were highest in Austria (63 %), followed by Germany (62 %), Belgium (58 %) and the Netherlands (51 %)

Used Oil pond in Al Dhafra

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS: MISSED RECOVERY OPPORTUNITIES FROM 64% OF WASTE

Over the last decade, Abu Dhabi has implemented an effective waste collection system for MSW and cleaning

of public areas, by introducing modern equipment and systems, and closer management of contractors. However, the waste management sector in Abu Dhabi suffers from inadequate infrastructure for treatment, material recovery and disposal. Waste streams are mixed and unsuitable for recycling resulting in most waste being sent to dumpsites. Table 3 shows the current waste management infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

Table 3: Current waste management infrastructure

WASTE STREAM
Hazardous Waste (including Industrial and Medical)

CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE
Hazardous waste incineration in Al Ain with capacity of 1,300 tonnes per year. Medical and animal waste incinerator with capacity of 1,152 tonnes per year.

MAIN GAPS
Shortage of enough facilities to handle quantities produced Inadequate treatment within existing facilities Lack of segregation from source. Gaps in collection. Lack of proper segregation (with inaccurate data of waste generation) Al Dhafra is a controlled dumpsite but not an engineered sanitary landfill. Absence of needed sanitary engineered landfills in Al Ain and the Western Region. Spoilt loads of C&D due to contamination, and illegal dumping. Shortage in demand for recycled aggregates. A significant portion is not segregated and thus not available for recycling. Uncontrolled disposal and illegal dumping Limited segregation at source causing lack of recycling opportunities (beside the lack of reliable data). Shortage in the capacity of treatment facilities of sewage sludge, causing illegal dumping.

Municipal Waste (MSW)

Six transfer stations. One sorting plant with capacity of 1,200 tonnes per day, to separate recyclables from mixed wastes. Manual sorting services at the landfill (mainly Al Dhafra Landfill). Two C&D waste recycling facilities with capacity of 10,000 tonnes per day.

Construction and Demolition (C&D)

Green Waste

Four green compost plants.

Bulky Waste

On-call collection services

Commercial and Industrial

One waste tires plant with capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year.

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

ONLY 28% OF WASTE MANAGEMENT COSTS ARE RECOVERED BY THE EXISTING TARIFF SCHEME
With all its gaps, the current public waste management system is cheap in nominal terms for the government and waste producers, though not necessarily cost effective. The total annual operating and capital expenditure for waste management in 2011 was AED 979 million, nearly 72% of this was direct funding from the government. The current tariff system raised AED 188 Million during 2012, 28% of the waste management costs. Fees are currently much lower than in other countries and the current system is felt by small waste generators to be

unfair because a maximum tariff of AED 50,000 is applied no matter how much waste is produced, resulting in smaller waste producers paying disproportionality more than larger waste producers who benefit from the cap. Overall, the current funding model fails to: Balance revenues with cost. Incentivize waste reduction. Provide adequate funding for the needed infrastructure. Account for environmental damage and future liabilities caused by current disposal practices. Over the next decade, Abu Dhabi needs to make significant investment in: Infrastructure upgrades. The operation and maintenance of new facilities. Data gathering. Awareness campaigns that change behaviour.

Balancing the waste management operational budget (based on actuals 2011)

REVENUE
188,353,443

COST
654,226,224
Degree of cost-coverage through revenue= 28.8%

Source: Waste Management Strategy for Emirate of Abu Dhabi (2013-2018)

Waste Management Facilities in Abu Dhabi

8

^ 1
Abu Dhabi

# *
Sweihan # *
8

# *Musaffah 11^ 12
13 10 21^

Sila # *

# * # *
Tarif
15^ 14^ 9

^ ^

* Al Ain #
6^ 7 3 4 ^2 5^

22^23

Ruwais

^24

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

# * # *
Madinat Zayed

Ghayathi

^17

20 ^

^ 18 ^ 19 # *
Liwa Oasis

^16

^ # *

Facility Sites

Cities

1. Al Hiyar - Transfer Station 7. Al Ain - C&D Crushing Plant 13. Al Mafraq - Transfer Station 19. Al Gipin - Dumpsite 2. Al Ain - Compost Plant 8. Sweihan - Transfer Station 14. Al Dhafra - Dumpsite 20. Om Ghurban - Dumpsite 3. Al Ain - Sorting Station 9. Remah - Transfer Station 15. Al Dhafra - C&D Crushing Plant 21. Al Mirfa - Dumpsite 4. Al Ain - Medical Waste Incinerator 10. Al Khatim - Compost Plant 16. Al Jabanna - Dumpsite 22. ADNOC - Dumpsite 5. Al Ain - Fallen Stock Incinerator 11. Al Mafraq - Transfer Station 17. Madinat Zayed - Dumpsite 23. Ruwais - Dumpsite 6. Al Ain - Sanitary Landfill 12. Al Mafraq - Compost Plant 18. Liwa - Compost Plant 24. Al Sila - Dumpsite

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

11

A VISION TO DIVERT MORE THAN 85% OF WASTE FROM LANDFILLS

Abu Dhabi Environment Vision 2030 provides an overall guiding framework to consider and preserve the environment when operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The vision for the waste sector is to achieve an enhanced value creation through optimised material flows and waste management by 2030. To realise this vision, Abu Dhabi plans to initially increase waste reduction, recycling and reuse to divert waste from landfills. Then, Abu Dhabi plans to change the focus from waste management to resource and material flow. This will entail developing an enabling environment to reduce the materials and energy intensity of domestic production and consumption.

EAD has led the development of a five-year Waste Management Strategy for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in partnership with CWM and the Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA). This strategy establishes targets (Table 4) and the initiatives required to achieve them. Central to the whole strategy is to divert 85% of municipal solid waste and 90% of construction and demolition waste from landfill. Achieving these targets will require significant infrastructure development, a revised legal and policy framework and cost recovery structure that is fair and accepted by waste producers, and that better shares the financial burden by waste producers with the government.

Table 4 - Agreed priority targets for the waste management sector (2013-2018)
SHORT OR MID-TERM TARGETS % of collected mixed MSW sorted after collection % of MSW diverted from landfill % of C&D diverted from landfill % of green waste diverted from landfill % hazardous waste going to provisional (interim) landfill storage due to lack of appropriate treatment capacity % of businesses actively recycling waste % of waste management costs covered by derived revenues % of waste collection contracts with segregated waste collection for residents % of ESPs registered as Environmental Health and Safety Management System 0% 50% 15% 100% >50% 40% <30% 0% 95% 60-65% ACTUAL 2012 <20% 25% 45% <30% 2018 TARGET >75% 85% 90% >50%

10

SETTING OUT THE CHALLENGES

A STRENGTHENED LEGAL FRAMEWORK IS NEEDED

Although the waste legal and regulatory framework was developed at the Federal and Emirate level, there remain a number of challenges with this framework that need to be addressed. Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 acts as the overall umbrellalaw for environmental protection. Law No. 16 of 2005 concerning the re-organisation of EAD identifies EAD as the lead entity for environmental protection, including waste management. The Waste Management Law No. 21 of 2005 identifies EAD as the competent authority for waste management. In 2008, the Centre of Waste Management Abu Dhabi (CWM) was established through Law No. 17 of 2008. However, because Law No. 17 post-dates Law No. 16 and Law No. 21, the roles of CWM were not established in Law No. 21.

All laws previously mentioned provide a high-level framework. However, the implementation regulations, standards and policies are not in place to enable the effective implementation of the law. Other challenges include the need for: Policies, technical environment protection and safety standards and thresholds. Specific regulations that enforce waste reduction reuse and recycle as well as material recovery. Proper legislations and incentives to encourage waste generators to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Regulatory harmonisation across the UAE to prevent diversion of waste to Emirates with the lowest regulatory standards, lowest level of regulatory supervision, and consequently, the cheapest disposal routes. The development of mechanisms for enforcement and judicial powers of the entities responsible for waste management. Setting a framework for penalties and fines that will act as deterrent.

ILLEGAL DUMPING: A CHALLENGE THAT REQUIRES COLLABORATION

Illegal dumping of waste is a significant challenge in the sector. It results in habitat degradation, soil contamination and groundwater contamination, as well as formation of habitats for organisms causing infectious diseases. The majority of wild dumping is sewage sludge, waste water, C&D waste, farm waste and bulky waste. An integrated legislation, adequate infrastructure, better enforcement and monitoring are required to overcome this challenge. Also, awareness campaigns can raise responsibility among waste producers to prevent illegal dumping.

TOWARDS INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ABU DHABI

Objectives and targets for the waste management sector

Sorting Station in AlAin

12

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

INVESTING IN WASTE: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND A FUNDING MODEL

The specific size and location of this infrastructure needs to be addressed in the spatial master plans for the different districts of Abu Dhabi. The development, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure will require significant investment. To avoid this burden falling on the government, considerations should be given to a range of cost recovery mechanisms which include: Commercial & industrial tariff. Tariffs for domestic mixed waste. High landfill gate fees / tipping fees. Revenues from new waste-to-energy facility. Revenues from waste management concession holders. Revenues from permitting & licensing.

Revenue from environmental service providers vehicle tracking system. Direct fees for individualised services (hazardous & bulky waste). Revenue from penalties / fines. Revenue from new waste management training centre. Potential revenue streams from franchising of developed waste management systems and procedures to companies, other Emirates or countries.

Experience from other countries has shown that as the cost of waste disposal shifts to the waste produces, there can be an increase in illegal activity, such as illegal dumping or fly tipping, to avoid cost. Therefore, the regulatory enforcement and penalty system will need to be strengthened to minimize illegal activity and to prevent illegal operators gaining an unfair competitive advantage over law abiding companies. Ultimately, any new fee structure needs to be fair, transparent, appropriately consulted and effective at recovering cost and incentivizing the flow of waste away from landfill.

Table 5: Needed infrastructure

REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR

Establish hazardous waste secure landfill with capacity of 20,000 to 200,000 m3 as an interim solution. Establish at least three state-of-the-art sanitary landfills in Al Dhafra, Ghiyathi and KIZAD. Establish sorting plant including heat treatment or washing pant, with capacity of 25,000-500,000 tonnes, at Al Mafraq or Al Dhafra. Create seven new transfer stations (capacity 5,000-10,000 tonnes) to improve efficiency of waste transportation at key locations in the Emirate. Complete on going Waste-to-Energy plant (WtE) with capacity of one million tonnes/year, conducted by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA). Study feasibility of establishing one mechanical-biological treatment plant with capacity of 100,000 to 250,000 tonnes.

Establish central hazardous waste facility (rotary kiln, plasma arc, or torch incinerator) with capacity of 10,000 to 50,000 tonnes. Establish one physical-chemical treatment plant for industrial waste, with capacity of 10,000-50,000 tonnes. Establish additional C&D crushing and sorting plant (capacity 3,000,000 tonnes per year) to meet expected increase in C&D disposal demand. Establish controlled export track for E-waste.

Study feasibility of establishing one bulky waste sorting and treatment facility with capacity of 100,000 to 300,000 tonnes. Study feasibility of establishing one end of life vehicle plant with capacity of 50,000 vehicles/year.

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

15

KEY PROJECTS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Energy Recovery Strategy (Waste-to-Energy)
There is an on-going feasibility study being undertaken by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA). TAQA has completed a detailed waste composition study, comprising over 200 samples and conducted over a 3 month period in order to determine the feasibility of a Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant in Abu Dhabi. This is the biggest and most extensive waste study ever commissioned in UAE.The conclusion of the study is that there is sufficient waste, with a sufficiently high calorific value, to build a 1 million tonne per annum WtE plant in Abu Dhabi. Without such a new track it will be challenging to achieve the Emirates targets for landfill diversion of 80-90%, reduction of transportation mileage, and the generation of energy from renewable sources. Delivery of a major WtE facility would normally take up to 5 years. However, since much of the development and feasibility work has been undertaken by TAQA, the project can be delivered by quarter 4 2016-quarter1 2017.

on November 2012 ,21, increased from 270,000 people in 2011 to 294,075 people in 2012 including individuals, government organisations, universities and NGOs from UAE. Paperless Day 2012 was supported by a number of organisations, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Water & Environment, General Secretariat of Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, Family Development Foundation, Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction Company (ADGAS) Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd (GASCO), Masdar, Mubadala, Shell, BP, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Al Dar properties, Department of Transport, Standard Chartered Bank and number of municipalities, hotels and hospitals. In 2012 there were 300,000 participants for Paperless Day resulting in a reduction of nearly 14 tonnes of CO2 emitted.

Saving Grace Project

The Saving Grace Project, known locally as Hefth Al Nema, is a humanitarian initiative overseen by the Red Crescent Authority in order to overcome extravagance and waste of surplus of food, and redistribute it to the poor and needy with the support of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the Department of Municipal Affairs - Abu Dhabi Municipality. Since its establishment in 2005, the project contributed to alleviate the suffering of thousands of needy families, orphans and workers as well as increased public awareness about the importance of empathy with the suffering of the disadvantaged in society. The project is divided into several sections aimed at reducing waste of food and other merchandise, such as furniture, clothing and medicine, and gives them to the needy families. The contributors such as hotels, restaurants, palaces and wedding halls inform the Red Crescent on schedule of events and ceremonies. Then, the project team prepare tools necessary to maintain the quality and temperature of the food and deliver it to the needy in the same day.

UPCs Estidamas Pearl Rating System

Estidamas Pearl Rating System is the sustainability programme covering all new development (communities, buildings and villas) within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and has been in force for over 2 years. Estidama sets entry level construction and demolition waste recycling targets of %30 with a reward mechanism for achieving higher recycling rates set at %50 and %70 respectively. In terms of operational waste, all buildings are required to produce an operational waste strategy aiming to improve infrastructure, achieve a minimum landfill diversion rate of %40 of operational waste, as well as providing adequate waste handling and transportation facilities.

Paperless Day
The number of participants for Paperless Day, an initiative organised by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD)

14

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

A CLEAR PATH FOR INTEGRATED LEGAL AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT

In order to improve the regulatory framework for the waste sector in Abu Dhabi, the following initiatives will be implemented: Develop missing waste management policies in consultation with all stakeholders (e.g. Waste classification, hazardous waste policy, Waste-toEnergy policy). Develop required standards, Standard Operating Procedures and Code of Practices, to develop the system (e.g. waste segregation procedures, permitting procedures, emission standards). Work with Ministry of Environment and Water to harmonize waste management laws, regulation, and standards across UAE. Clarify judicial powers of each entity for enforcement of waste management regulation and align inspection check-lists across DMA-CWM-EAD. EAD will license and inspect all existing waste management facilities retrospectively and all new facilities as agreed with CWM. Enhance anti-dumping and fly-tipping controls (especially for hazardous wastes sewage sludge,

waste water; C&D and green waste). Develop regulations and incentives to encourage waste producers to implement best practices to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Integrate inspection systems and check-lists. Increase waste-dumping penalties from AED 5,000 to AED 100,000 and align penalties across UAE as soon as possible. Set and enforce standards for clean-up, if offender can be identified and systematically impound offenders vehicles. Design and maintain tracking system for all waste including marine waste. Establish mechanism to track waste generators including waste from farms, labour camps, small commercial entities, etc.

EAD will develop a unified waste management law for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with concerned stakeholders, to clarify roles and responsibilities of waste management sector and interactions between stakeholders. Finally, the waste management strategy has recommended that the CWM, DMA, and EAD form a permanent strategic planning and coordination committee to manage the implementation strategy and associated alignment processes between the three entities and other stakeholders.

Midical Waste bags dumped in Al Dhafra

Used tires dumped in Al Dhafra

16

SETTING OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES

UAE Free of Plastic Bags

In 2009, a Cabinet Decision was issued to implement a programme to reduce the use of plastic bags and ban the use on non-degradable plastic bags based on a proposal by the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW). The Ministry then launched the UAE: Free of Plastic Bags Campaign. In 2011, Ministerial Resolution 451 was issued by MoEW for proper registration of plastic bags factories and suppliers. EAD is the authority responsible for implementing the Cabinet Decision and the Ministerial Resolution decision throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. EAD has been working with wide range of stakeholders for the effective delivery of such plastic bags policies. EAD circulates Resolution 451 to the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development & ZonesCorp in order to align with MoEW on legal requirements and streamline implementation.

The main objectives of this program are to: Reduce the production of waste in Abu Dhabi. Encourage people to recycle waste. Spread awareness on how to deal with waste. Use the latest technology in waste management (like GPS tracking system). Encourage investors in friendly environment businesses.

Stop Illegal Dumping of Waste

The Centre of Waste Management launched the Stop Illegal Dumping of Waste campaign in September 2012 under the slogan (See it, Report it, Stop it) across various regions of Abu Dhabi. The campaign was sponsored by the Department of Municipal Affairs and the Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp), and supported by ADNOC, ETISALAT, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC), Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, Abu Dhabi Education Council and Abu Dhabi Police. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of society regarding the danger of illegal dumping of waste and wastewater on the environment and natural resources, and the resulting damage threaten the Emirates natural resources. It also aimed to be a prime example demonstrating the strong partnership between the local community and the Centre of Waste Management, and in turn encouraged the promotion of sustainable behavior.

NADAFA Programme
Nadafa Programme is a regional initiative led by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and supervised by the Centre of Waste Management - Abu Dhabi, to ensure proper and sustainable use of natural resources in order to promote reduction of waste production at source and monitor, record all activities on waste, activate the structure of waste management and to overcome the environmental and economic damage impacts of the waste.