ABU DHABI - The Emirate of Abu Dhabi continues its relentless efforts to reduce waste through its treatment and recycling, in a variety of types and sizes, and converting it into valuable economic resources and environmentally friendly products that can be used in various fields and projects.

According to data from the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, Abu Dhabi succeeded in recycling more than 3.455 million tonnes of waste from various parts of the emirate during 2022, a remarkable feat that reflects the emirate's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

Demolition and construction waste came in first place in terms of the amount of recycled waste, at an estimated 2.195 million tonnes, which represents a whopping 60% of the total demolition and construction waste produced last year. This is a testament to the emirate's focus on circularity and its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the construction sector.

Demolition and construction waste is sorted and crushed to produce gravel of various sizes, which is then used in vital infrastructure projects, paving roads, and levelling the soil. In addition, the sand produced from the treatment processes is used to cover the waste transported to landfills, reducing its environmental impact.

The amount of industrial and commercial waste recycled during the same period was approximately 1.215 million tonnes, while about 59,000 tonnes of agricultural and animal waste was converted into organic fertilizer, to reduce environmental and health risks and the costs associated with collecting and transporting such waste.

The above data confirms that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is moving at a rapid pace in the process of recycling waste and converting it from an environmental burden to important economic resources and sustainable products.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is adopting the best practices and innovative technologies in waste treatment and recycling processes, in order to increase the rate of its conversion away from landfills, in line with the emirate's commitment to finding sustainable solutions for waste management.

As of the end of 2022, Abu Dhabi had a total of 27 waste management facilities distributed across the emirate, with 8 facilities in the Abu Dhabi region, 11 facilities in the Al Ain region, and 8 facilities in the Al Dhafra region. These facilities provide a wide range of services, including waste sorting, recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy conversion.

Abu Dhabi places a strong emphasis on waste management awareness and education. The emirate has launched various programmes and initiatives to encourage community members to practice waste sorting and embrace recycling as a cultural norm. Abu Dhabi also partners with prominent international organisations to share best practices and learn from the experiences of other cities.

One of the key pillars of Abu Dhabi's waste management strategy is the ‘BOLISATY’ system, a waste database that links waste generation sites with environmental service providers to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of waste. The Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company-Tadweer supervises waste and its transportation, overseeing more than 4,000 waste transport vehicles and monitoring waste containers throughout the emirate.