The countdown begins ...
A mammoth clean-up operation is being planned to clear the huge amounts of rubbish that will be dumped daily by millions of Expo 2020 Dubai visitors.
The rubbish will be collected at a new 5,000-square-metre waste facility at the Dubai South site, operated by UAE waste management company Dulsco.
Organic waste will be converted into compost that will be used at parks, play areas and exhibition centres across the sprawling gated area.
Waste that can be recycled such as plastic, paper, glass and metal tins will be sent in trailers to the main Dulsco facility in Ras Al Khor for further segregation and processing.
Experts estimate that as much as 147 tonnes will be recycled every day.
With a detailed logistics plan in place, the goal is to create value from waste.
It will take between two days to a week for the rubbish from the Expo site to be repurposed into coasters and bowls, egg trays and seed pots at the main waste-to-resource plant in Ras Al Khor.
“The volume of waste produced during the event is projected to be about 173 tonnes a day, of which a minimum of 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products and resources,” Dulsco’s chairman, Abdul Aziz Abdullah, told The National.
“The new central waste facility will serve as a transfer station for the waste generated daily from Expo 2020 Dubai.
“The organic waste generated will be processed on site to ensure operational efficiency and reduced carbon footprint.”
Glass cast-offs will be recycled to make lights, candle holders and serving trays.
Paper pulp moulds will be used as cup carriers and food package trays, while plastic items will be turned into pellets and plastic bags.
The aim is to make the 2020 Expo the most sustainable yet.
The strategy is in line with the Expo’s aim to ensure 85 per cent of waste from the site will be diverted from landfill.
This is a higher target compared with the previous world fair, held in Milan in 2015, which achieved a 67 per cent diversion rate from landfills.
Ayesha Al Marzooqi, Expo 2020’s assistant manager for sustainability, said the plan to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose waste was in line with the country’s commitment to a green economy.
“This is in keeping with the UAE’s development of a longterm waste strategy,” she said.
“World Expos are a place for people to engage with important ideas that will shape our shared future.”
Bins for different types of waste will be placed across the 438 hectare site and staff will use the latest technology and waste-management protocols to handle the waste.
As part of a long-term strategy, Dulsco will spread awareness about sorting of waste at source using the Expo on-site facility as an example to educate the community about recycling.
“We will also be supporting local small and medium enterprises engaged in the repurposing and recycling of glass, plastic, and other materials,” Mr Abdullah said.