DOHA - Qatar University (QU) has launched its 'Campus Waste Recycling Programme'. The Qatar University community's innovative project is the brain child of the varsity's English Foundation Programme.
The Friends of Environment Center, Lucky Corporations Holding, Dubai and Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar are some of the organizations that have pledged their support to the QU's innovative initiative.
"Our idea is to launch the recycling of different types of campus wastes in a phased manner. Qatar University is poised to become the first University in the Middle East with such a facility", said Jay Trimiar, the Foundation English Instructor.
The project will be realized in four different phases. The initial phase would witness the recycling of aluminum waste. The phases two, three and four will include paper, plastic and glass recycling respectively. The idea is to make QU Campus environmentally clean by 2010, he said.
The project will be launched in line with the UNESCO-supported 'Rashid and Dana Recyclers' Project". Introduced in 2003 at some selected schools in Qatar, the programme was highly successful. Later, the project was expanded to Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
"It is estimated that on average each individual in Qatar throws away over half a tonne of rubbish every year. Doha residents alone generate millions of tonnes of garbage annually, enough to fill a large sports stadium. It has been estimated that up to 80 percent of this garbage could be recycled. Sadly, of this, hardly three percent is being recycled. The recycling of the other 77 per cent would mean a saving of millions of riyals on waste disposal each year. To make the situation worse millions of riyals worth recyclable resources are thrown away in the waste system in Qatar annually.", Trimiar said citing the UNESCO report.
The QU's initiative is an important step not only towards promoting the concept of recycling the waste among youth but promoting the newly initiated biological and environmental sciences programme at the varsity, he said.
Dr Ahmad Kotb, Scientific Consultant, said that the Gulf had a richer fauna and flora than most people think and that this project would help save the precious natural assets. Imparting training to the students in the waste recycling network in Qatar will foster the project tin the long run, he said.
Rosemary Lapka, the faculty adviser for Carnegie Mellon Qatar's student group LiveGreen, said re-introduction of the 'Rashid and Dana Recycler's Programme' will help QU students realise importance of innovative environmental management and sustainable development issues.
"As part of the agreement to move on with the first phase of the project, our company has launched an aluminum recycling plant in the Industrial area in Qatar. We will coordinate the collection, pick-up and drop off of aluminum cans and scrap metal for the Qatar University campus", said Zakir Hussain, Director, Lucky Recycling-Dubai.
Henning Schwarze, Managing Director, World Habitat Society, also spoke.
© The Peninsula 2008
