Qatar - The Ministry of Municipality has sorted and recycled 100% of the waste generated during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie has said.

Also, more than 271mn kilowatt-hours of electricity and over 35,000 tonnes of fertilisers were produced at the Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre (DSWMC) in Mesaieed in 2022, besides more than 27,000 tonnes of recyclable materials getting re-sorted, he informed.

HE the Minister made the observations on the opening day of the third Recycling Towards Sustainability Conference Exhibition-Doha 2023, which he inaugurated at the Sheraton Doha Tuesday in the presence of a number of ministers and ambassadors, as well as a group of local and international experts and specialists in the field of waste management, recycling and sustainability.

In his opening speech, HE the Minister said this was the first time in the history of the World Cup that such a percentage (of waste sorting and recycling) had been achieved. “Qatar managed to achieve zero waste after turning all waste gathered from all stadiums and fan zones into recyclable materials or clean energy at the Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre in Mesaieed,” he said.

The DSWMC is the most significant facility in the State and the region in terms of receiving and processing waste. It was awarded the GCC prize in the field of municipal work in the category of best practices in waste management and recycling as a culmination of its pioneering role in waste treatment and recycling.

HE the Ministry stressed that one of the Ministry of Municipality's most significant achievements was the disposal of all used tyres stockpiled in the country after developing a well-thought-out plan to safely dispose of discarded tyres and find solutions to recycle them at all its affiliated sites.

Around 180,000 tonnes of tyres were disposed of in co-operation with local private sector companies and tyre recycling factories in the Al Afja area for recycling industries, which have been allocated by the State due to the importance of these industries in achieving the goals of sustainable development, and within the framework of the State's keenness to support and encourage partnership between the government and private sectors, he said.

The ministry works to encourage various segments of society to reduce waste and raise their awareness through the 'zero waste' campaign launched to develop a methodology of thinking regarding the management of waste and its importance and to reach an advanced level of community awareness of the importance of waste as part of resource sustainability, HE al-Subaie noted.

“The ministry continues its effective efforts to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030 while promoting sustainability and the optimal use of resources through future projects, such as establishing an engineering landfill with the highest international standards and specifications, operating a station for sorting and recovering recyclable materials in Al Khor city, and finding the best solutions and methods for waste treatment and recycling,” HE the Minister pointed out.

He noted that great importance is given to afforestation projects and increasing green spaces, as at the end of 2022 the initiative to plant 1mn trees was completed in partnership and co-operation with various ministries, institutions and civil society. “The ministry is also implementing the initiative to plant 10mn trees by 2030 as part of Qatar's continuous efforts to achieve sustainable development and preserve the environment,” he added.

He concluded the speech by expressing hope for the active participation in the conference of community institutions, private sector companies, researchers and academics in order to exchange expertise and experience, as well as to learn about the latest technology in the field of waste management, safe and sound disposal and recycling.

This approach aims to integrate efforts to achieve the strategic objectives of Qatar and various countries around the globe in the field of improving the quality of life and the sustainability and preservation of resources, he added.

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