DUBAI // In an attempt to reduce landfill use, Dubai Municipality plans to increase fees at the sites and build 13 recycling centres in communities across the city.
At present, only specialised companies are allowed to dispose of waste at municipal landfills at a charge of Dh10 per lorry.
Under the new plan, that is being reviewed internally, the charges will increase according to the weight and type of waste.
Private residents will not be charged.
Waste disposal companies are expected to transfer the additional cost to clients, which include shopping malls, private developers and businesses.
“The main objective of the master plan is that the polluter pays, therefore a new local order for landfill disposal will be coming very soon,” said Imad Mohammed, head of technical support and studies at the municipality’s waste management department.
Addressing the sixth Annual Waste Management ME Forum yesterday, Mr Mohammed called the proposal in line with the goals of Vision 2021. By that year, the initiative aims to divert 75 per cent of all waste generated from landfills through a policy of reusing, recycling or other types of advanced treatment. By 2030, a 98 per cent diversion rate is being targeted. “This means almost all waste should be diverted from landfill,” Mr Mohammed said.
The proposal is being reviewed internally before being submitting to the Executive Council. It is likely that the new fees will be reviewed by other government organisations before being passed for approval.
This is not the first time Dubai Municipality has discussed potential increases in landfill fees. Waste experts said that such measures often faced opposition because of a reluctance to impose additional costs on businesses.
The municipality said that without the increase, the problem of high waste generation was likely to continue.
Currently, about 16 per cent of all waste is diverted from landfill, said Naji Al Radhi, head of waste treatment at the municipality. This needed to increase almost five-fold in the next six years if targets were to be met, he said.
“We will never reach such targets if fees are not changed.”
The potential increase was good news for companies specialising in waste recycling or treatment technologies. They have argued that the current low landfill fees were making greener alternatives financially less competitive.
“In my opinion, to introduce some kind of gate fee for the waste produced is the only way to implement proper and sustainable waste treatment in the UAE. Without this, they will just go on like today,” said Rolf Liebeneiner, who works in project development for Bekon, a Germany company that produces biogas and fertilisers from organic waste.
Germany banned sending waste to landfill in 2005 and has treatment fees of up to €100 (Dh411) a tonne, depending on the type of waste and the treatment facility receiving it.
As well as charging more, the municipality would also increase efforts to promote the correct separation of waste at the source, Mr Mohammed said.
The planned recycling centres, which will be open by next year, are to encourage people to correctly dispose of various items, from packaging and beverage cans to bulky waste, clothes, batteries and electronic waste.
“It is a full solution for the waste,” Mr Mohammed said.
The facilities would be located within most existing Dubai Municipality customer centres, as well as in some recreational parks.
The goal, he said, would be to cover busy locations frequented by many people.
vtodorova@thenational.ae