Gulf economies cannot afford to keep wasting food to this extent – Averda’s CSO writes for Gulf News
Better sourcing and deploying technology can ease some of that pressure.
The contract, signed with Oman Airports Management Company, covers Muscat and Salalah airports, the first and second largest airports in the country. Around 16 million passengers pass through Muscat International airport alone each year.
Averda will provide a range of bins and compactor units in addition to staff and collection vehicles to ensure all the waste from the airports – landside, airside, catering, and cargo - is segregated at source, collected and transported to appropriately authorised facilities for further processing and disposal.
Dedicated recycling bins will be supplied in order to maximise the amount of material recovered and diverted from landfill, in line with the Oman government’s commitment to greater sustainability. These will include bins or containers for general waste, recyclables, food and organic material, used cooking oil and waste electrical items (WEEE), as well as hazardous and medical waste. Pest control is also covered in the contract.
Mazen Chebaklo, Averda’s Chief Growth Officer, welcomed the contract. “We are delighted to onboard Oman and Salalah International Airports to our client portfolio. We opened our doors to the aviation sector in the GCC 5 years ago and this win further cements our position in this sector. Tourism is a vital part of Oman’s economy and international airports are the first sight travellers have of a country - we look forward to supporting Oman Airports Management Company present the best face of Oman to its many visitors.”
Averda has considerable experience in supporting waste, recycling, and cleanliness in major transport hubs in the region including other international airports. The company already has long standing partnerships with Oman’s environment agency be’ah covering waste management for all of Muscat and both Dakhiliyah and Dhofar Governorates, as well as a growing number of private customers in the country. In total Averda already handles around 850,000 tonnes of waste in Oman every year. Work will commence on the new contract on 1stApril 2022.
