A bus on UAE roads to collect recyclable waste

abu dhabi — Soon, a recycling bus — a first-of-its-kind — will be on the UAE streets, collecting recyclable waste and creating awareness about sustainable environment.

Dubai-based Dulsco, an innovative solutions and services provider, has announced that the refurbished bus will collect mixed recyclables, e-waste, batteries, light bulbs etc. The multicoloured bus was kept on display at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and had already received waste items from the exhibition site.

Significantly, Dulsco is the official waste management partner of the six-month Expo 2020 Dubai and the bus will be part of the mega event to spread the message. For now, the next stop for the bus will be the Expo 2020 site during its own Sustainability Week from January 19 to 23 where it is set to inform staff about the importance of waste management, said David Stockton, CEO and managing director, Dulsco.

“We will also be moving parallel with schools. We are asking communities to come in. We will be straight onto the roads as soon as we can,” Stockton told Khaleej Times.

The bus will travel to communities and schools to raise awareness about waste segregation and recycling. Residents can deposit waste free of cost through eight windows on the bus.

T-shirts, caps, egg trays and more

Once collected, the waste will be transported to recycling facilities where it’s sorted, recycled and transformed into various apparels and other products. For example, plastic bottles will be shredded into flakes and then, will be mixed with recyclable polyester to be made into yarns. Six plastic bottles will be used to make a cap and seven into a Tshirt. Newspapers will be turned into paper pulp and then made into egg trays and pots. Glass bottles will be crushed to candle holders and serving trays. Some of the products are recycled through local small and medium enterprises.

Stockton noted that the idea was to contribute to the circular economy of reusing resources. “The bus runs on biofuel. If this bus becomes popular, then we will add more buses.”

Also, Dulsco will play a crucial role at Expo 2020 where daily waste collection is expected to reach 173 tonnes. “We will support Expo 2020 achieve a rate of 85 per cent waste diversion away from landfill.”

Recycled waste will return to the Expo sites as merchandise and will be used at different outlets.

Sanjive Khosla, chief commercial officer, Expo 2020, said the partnership will help achieve targets of sustainability programme and reduce environmental footprint.

We are asking communities to come in. We will be straight onto the roads as soon as we can. David Stockton

CEO and managing director, Dulsco