UAE plans first food-grade plastic recycling plant

ABU DHABI – The Ministry of Trade and Superior Know-how (MoIAT) on seventeenth January 2023 oversaw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), which can lay the groundwork for brand new plastic recycling facility within the UAE.

Below the plans, a 12,000 tonnes every year polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant has been earmarked for Abu Dhabi. In step with the UAE’s efforts to scale back plastic air pollution and enhance commerce by the export of recycled supplies, the plant will recycle PET, a plastic materials that’s utilized in meals packaging, reminiscent of plastic water bottles.

The 40,000 sq. meter facility in Abu Dhabi might create 100 jobs and keep away from the emission of 18,000 metric tonnes of CO2 yearly at full working capability.

The MoU to review the feasibility of the challenge, which entails Repeet, BEEAH Group, and Agthia, was signed within the presence of Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Government Director of the UAE Impartial Local weather Change Accelerators (UICCA), Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Trade and Superior Know-how, and Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Local weather Change and the Atmosphere.

Omar Al Suwaidi, Below-Secretary of MoIAT, stated, “Collaboration is the important thing driver behind the shift in the direction of a extra sustainable industrial sector and a greener economic system. Accordingly, the ministry focuses on facilitating partnerships between stakeholders, together with monetary establishments, nationwide industrial corporations, and world companies, with the goal of supporting GDP progress in addition to the UAE’s web zero strategic initiative.”

“As we strategy COP28, the ministry will proceed to amplify the essential initiatives that fall below the nationwide industrial technique. For example, we’ll make the most of Make it within the Emirates to draw worldwide traders and firms to have interaction with the UAE’s industrial sector to assist us unlock the alternatives related to industrial transformation, and round economic system. These alternatives will finally assist to b/uild a extra sustainable, environment friendly and aggressive industrial sector, supporting not solely the nationwide economic system, but additionally the worldwide local weather agenda,” Al Suwaidi added.

The MoU was signed between Veolia Center East subsidiary Repeet, UAE-based sustainability pioneer BEEAH Group, and F&B conglomerate Agthia. Within the body of the challenge below examine, Repeet would function the recycling plant, whereas BEEAH Group would provide a seven-year feedstock of plastics. In the meantime, Agthia would offer a seven-year offtake for merchandise. The feedstock will probably be post-consumed PET bottle bales whereas the offtakes will probably be meals grade recycled PET resin.

Following the signing, Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, stated, “Aligning intently with the nationwide imaginative and prescient and contributing to the UAE’s sustainability targets have been the driving pressure for our organisation as we develop and implement round economic system options by our waste administration enterprise. Via this settlement, we will now additional assist the UAE’s sustainability agenda and speed up the round economic system. We’re honoured to accomplice with MoIAT, Repeet and Veolia to sort out the essential subject of plastic air pollution and make a constructive influence collectively on a bigger scale.”

This partnership comes in step with MoIAT’s latest ministerial decree regulating the commerce of recycled plastic water bottles. The transfer goals to facilitate the manufacturing of water bottles utilizing recycled plastic in step with prime public well being and meals security requirements. With time, extra native water bottling corporations are anticipated to embrace this round economic system journey and introduce increasingly more recycled plastic to provide their packaging. That is projected to scale back keep away from 50,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, to boost the nationwide in-country worth by AED150 million yearly, and to create greater than 1000 jobs.

MoIAT works intently with industrial stakeholders, together with monetary establishments, to leverage incentives and enablers that result in a business-friendly setting that’s engaging to traders.

As a part of the UAE’s nationwide industrial technique, the ministry has launched numerous programmes and initiatives that assist the sustainable improvement of precedence sectors, contributing to the nation’s financial diversification.

The ministry has a sizeable presence at ADSW, which takes place this week within the run-up to COP28.

ADSW offers a chance for the worldwide group to show ambition into motion, by forging partnerships, committing funding, and launching applied sciences and options that may speed up sustainable improvement all over the world.