From June 20-21 2018, residents of Dubai were able to request a free pick from Uber to collect there unwanted electronic items. A total of 11 business parks took part in the initiative, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Science Park. Residents of Dubai can still safely recycling their unwanted electronic goods by simply visiting one of Averda’s recycling collection centres around the city.
Mariam Ansari, Averda UAE’s Market Manager, said: “We were thrilled to take part in the #eCycleDubai campaign with Uber for the third consecutive year. Tackling the issue of e-waste remains one of Averda’s key objectives in all of our markets. We are always looking for engaging ways to connect with the communities we serve and raise awareness about critical environmental issues, so we would like to thank all our partners and all those who recycled their unwanted electronics.”
Tackling the issue of electronic waste is essential. On average, a UAE resident produces 17.2 kilograms of e-waste every year. In 2015, this amounted to nearly 600,000 tonnes in the region. By 2020, e-waste generation in the GCC is expected to reach a staggering 900,000 tonnes, a UN-sponsored research project found. If e-waste is not disposed of efficiently, it can have catastrophic events on the environment as it can release harmful toxins.
A new Averda waste management facility for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is designed to reach zero-waste operations by 2025, making the university the first zero-waste institution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Commercial scale municipal waste to renewable methanol plant in the Middle East announced during COP27.
Better sourcing and deploying technology can ease some of that pressure.