UAE trials waste scheme to reduce amount of phones and laptops in landfills

Initial stage project to target recycling of electrical equipment, batteries and packaging

E-waste is a huge problem facing today's society. AFP

Mobile phone and laptop owners in the UAE will soon be able to get money when they hand their devices in for recycling rather than throwing them away.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has launched a trial project with Tadweer Group that will see manufacturers and producers of electronic devices paying a fee to make them more accountable for how phones are disposed of.

It is expected that this fee will be passed on to consumers. However, the cost will be refunded if a person hands in their device for recycling at a designated centre taking part in the scheme launched today.

At the signing ceremony, Dr Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said the agreement was a step towards “sustainable environmental solutions” that will ensure "the safe, long-term disposal of waste, and protects the right of future generations to live in a clean, pollution-free environment".

The initiative is part of the UAE’s Integrated Waste Management Agenda 2023–2026 and targets specific waste, including electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and packaging. If successful, the scheme could lay the groundwork for a nationwide transition to a circular economy – one in which products are reused, repaired, and recycled instead of discarded.

Sara Jackson, secretary general of the Circular Packaging Association, said that, if implemented, this could be a leading model for the Middle East. "We know from a study that was done in 2021 that around 15 per cent of UAE households actually practice recycling," explained Ms Jackson. "So there is a significant opportunity in terms of consumer awareness and education."

"We'll start small, but it will gather momentum in order to reach the kinds of targets that we see in Europe, where 90 per cent of some materials are actually diverted from landfill and reused in the circular economy."

Global waste is projected to reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, growing more than twice as fast as the global population.

Recycling rates and infrastructure gaps

Much of the waste generated across the UAE currently ends up in landfill but authorities in Abu Dhabi have been increasing efforts to tackle waste over the past few years. Abu Dhabi-based waste management and recycling services company Tadweer previously said it was aiming to divert 80 per cent of waste from landfills by 2030.

Thursday's signing of an agreement on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) between MOCCAE and Tadweer – the Abu Dhabi-based waste management giant – commits both parties to temporarily operate the pilot in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Its central aim is to test the viability of a system where producers are obliged to take some responsibility for what happens to their products when a consumer is finished with it.

Recycled paper bags at a shop in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ali Al Dhaheri, chief executive of the Tadweer Group, said the pilot marks a shift away from linear waste models in which responsibility ends at the point of sale. “By piloting an EPR model, we are laying the foundation for a more accountable and resource-efficient waste management system," he said. “We will explore invaluable learning that will inform future strategies focused on EPR, ensuring a seamless transition to a model that benefits the environment, businesses, and our community.”

EPR is widely considered an essential component of sustainable waste management. Under the model, companies are required to finance the collection, recycling, or safe disposal of the waste generated by their products. Countries such as the UK, Germany, and South Korea have implemented EPR for various product categories, resulting in improved recycling rates and reduced environmental harm.

While the fee on products will be finalised at the end of the six-month pilot, Mr Al Dhaheri told The National it will be similar to others implemented globally.