Deposit rules could improve recycling rates

Despite efforts to introduce more efficient waste management, the disposal of household rubbish remains a tough challenge for authorities across the country. In Sharjah, the matter has become a health issue, as parts of the emirate have been blighted by piles of uncollected waste and the associated problems such litter brings with it.

As The National reported yesterday, residents have called for more official efforts to keep the city clean. For its part, the Ministry of Environment and Water last week announced broad changes to environment protection laws nationwide, allowing the ministry to get tough with polluters and renewing efforts to encourage us all to recycle more. The hope is that such a stance will eventually wean us off our reliance on landfill.

The reasons to recycle are many: by reusing plastic or glass products, for instance, you reduce material consumption, energy use and pollution. Greater use of recycled products also reduces water consumption – washing and reusing an existing drinks bottle is a more efficient and less intensive use of water than manufacturing a new bottle.

Reusing products would also help reduce the amount of solid waste dumped in landfill, extending the usable life of these facilities and reducing the production of greenhouse gases, including methane.

Unfortunately, this country has a notably high per capita generation of waste. According to its last published data, the Centre of Waste Management Abu Dhabi estimated the emirate of Abu Dhabi generated 5.9 million tonnes of waste in 2007-2008, amounting to approximately 3.9 tonnes of waste per person per annum.

One way to encourage recycling would be to monetise it, by introducing a deposit programme on bottles and cans and adding a small returnable fee to products. This method has proven successful around the world. In the US, for example, some states have laws charging a small fee – usually 5 or 10 cents per container – on plastic or glass bottles and aluminium cans purchased in retail stores.

There is a heavy price to pay for unchecked consumption, and that cost is borne by all citizens and residents. Tackling waste requires cooperation from all sections of society, but will reap economic, environmental and social benefits for the whole country.