Be’ah — the Sultanate’s solid waste management utility — is weighing efforts to support the introduction of reverse vending machines for the collection of plastic bottles — a move that could potentially impart new momentum to fledgling recycling initiatives under way in Oman.According to an official of be’ah, reverse vending machines are among a slate of initiatives being mulled by the state-owned utility. Also on the anvil are drop-off centres for specific types of recyclable waste, and even designated bins as well.
“Right now we are working to establish an effective collection scheme specifically for PET plastics, which are the highest generated plastics in Oman,” said Zainab Ali Abdulkhaliq (pictured), Section Head — Energy Recovery, Business Development Department, be’ah. “We are working with major stakeholders in the country right now to introduce reverse vending machines to be installed at central (locations).” Hugely popular in a number of countries around the world, reverse vending machines allow consumers to deposit specific types of recyclable waste — be it plastic or glass bottles, aluminium cans, and so on — often against a reward typically dispensed in the form of vouchers that can be redeemed against a variety of goods or public travel services.
Once inserted into the machine, the plastic bottle is crushed or shredded, enabling hundreds of recyclable bottles to be collected, crushed and stored before it is transferred to processing centres. These machines play an important role in supporting the circularity of plastic waste and reducing their disposal in landfills. In countries with poor waste management systems, plastic waste ends up clogging drains and rivers, and accounts for much of the trash found floating out at sea. The be’ah official made the revelation at the Oman Sustainable Energy and Technology Summit, which concluded at the Crowne Plaza Muscat on Tuesday. The two-day forum was organised by White Paper Summits (WPS).
Asked by a member of the audience if a ban on single use plastic was in the works, Zainab Ali Abdulkhaliq said be’ah was focused on finding solutions that could be implemented immediately, while at the same time, promoting awareness efforts in support of waste recycling. In addition to reverse vending machines, be’ah is also looking at drop-off centres for certain types of recyclable waste, she said. “Besides, we are looking at installing normal waste bills but designated for recyclables in areas like football pitches, mosques, schools, etc – to encourage waste segregation at the community level.”
“Right now we are working to establish an effective collection scheme specifically for PET plastics, which are the highest generated plastics in Oman,” said Zainab Ali Abdulkhaliq (pictured), Section Head — Energy Recovery, Business Development Department, be’ah. “We are working with major stakeholders in the country right now to introduce reverse vending machines to be installed at central (locations).” Hugely popular in a number of countries around the world, reverse vending machines allow consumers to deposit specific types of recyclable waste — be it plastic or glass bottles, aluminium cans, and so on — often against a reward typically dispensed in the form of vouchers that can be redeemed against a variety of goods or public travel services.
Once inserted into the machine, the plastic bottle is crushed or shredded, enabling hundreds of recyclable bottles to be collected, crushed and stored before it is transferred to processing centres. These machines play an important role in supporting the circularity of plastic waste and reducing their disposal in landfills. In countries with poor waste management systems, plastic waste ends up clogging drains and rivers, and accounts for much of the trash found floating out at sea. The be’ah official made the revelation at the Oman Sustainable Energy and Technology Summit, which concluded at the Crowne Plaza Muscat on Tuesday. The two-day forum was organised by White Paper Summits (WPS).
Asked by a member of the audience if a ban on single use plastic was in the works, Zainab Ali Abdulkhaliq said be’ah was focused on finding solutions that could be implemented immediately, while at the same time, promoting awareness efforts in support of waste recycling. In addition to reverse vending machines, be’ah is also looking at drop-off centres for certain types of recyclable waste, she said. “Besides, we are looking at installing normal waste bills but designated for recyclables in areas like football pitches, mosques, schools, etc – to encourage waste segregation at the community level.”
Source Link: www.omanobserver.om
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