Minister: Waste Management Strategy’s implementation on the right track

Manama, Aug. 24 (BNA): Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister, Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, has affirmed that the implementation of the National Waste Management Strategy will contribute to addressing the waste problem in the long run, as well as to benefiting from waste economically, through the provision of energy and raw materials for various projects. Khalaf asserted that the Works Ministry has made major strides in implementing the practical initiatives of the National Waste Management Strategy enjoying the support of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the follow-up of the Executive Committee, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. The initiatives of the national strategy have contributed to the treatment of 50% of the amount of waste dumped in the Askar landfill, estimated at 1.7 million tons every year, he said. He pointed out that the National Strategy aims to achieve the Kingdom's commitments in the field of ‘integrated management’ of waste management operations in accordance with the best international health, environmental and technical practices, which include collection, sorting, management, awareness-raising and other initiatives. He explained that the Ministry of Works is implementing the National Waste Management Strategy through three main initiatives, the first of which is the recycling of demolition and construction waste, which accounts for 38% of the total waste received by the landfill, (or 646,000 tons per year), noting that a tender has been lauched and awarded to a local company to implement the initiative. He noted that the initiative has contributed to providing recycled materials that can be used in building roads, adding that the Ministry has already constructed the first street using recycled materials. As to the second initiative, which is the re-use of green waste, constituting 7% of the total waste or about 300 tons per day, he said that the Works Ministry began implementing it on a piece of land in Hoorat A'ali. The project, aiming to convert waste to agricultural fertiliser, will be awarded to the private sector, he said. Regarding the third initiative, he said that it is based on reycling household waste, noting that Ministry of Works is in the process of appointing a consultant to prepare for launching a tender for converting domestic waste into to energy. The ministry is also preparing to launch a tender on recyclying tires. It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning signed earlier this year an agreement with the Spanish company "Urbaser " for the development of the Askar landfill for three years, after the company’s winning of a tender launched in this regard.