MUSCAT: As many as 83 companies are currently engaged in waste recycling activities, underscoring the significant growth of the circular economy in Oman over the last several years, according to Dr Abdullah al Amri, Chairman – Environment Authority.

Taking part in a panel discussion on Day 1 of the Advantage Oman Forum, he said the proliferation of commercially-driven recycling activities is a testament to the enactment of effective policies and regulations that have fostered the growth of this sector.

“Four years ago, new policies were introduced to encourage internal recycling within the Sultanate. Some facilities were also made available to investors. In the past four years, we have seen the successful establishment of 83 recycling plants, focusing on various materials including iron scrap, aluminum scrap, plastic, car parts, cardboard, paper, tyres, and others,” Dr Al Amri stated.

Fuelled by the growth of this sector, around 43 per cent of municipal solid waste is now being recycled, according to the official. “So we are on the right track! We expect to reach 60 per cent by 2030 and more than 90 per cent by 2040.”

Sharing his thoughts on the growth of the country’s circular economy, fellow panelist Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, said the Oil & Gas sector is also getting its act together and dealing with oilfield waste in an environmentally responsible manner. Scrap steel and waste oil, for example, are now being recycled and processed in a sustainably approved way.

“With support from the Environment Authority and the Ministry of Commerce, we are now collecting all of that waste for reprocessing within the country, thereby supporting not only environmentally friendly processes, but also creating opportunities for new industry, new jobs, and so on,” he said.

From the standpoint of decarbonisation, the Oil & Gas industry is also actively working to start collecting carbon emissions, notably from hard-to-abate industries, for sequestering in suitable locations. So CO2 capture and CO2 sequestration are now part of the circular economy,” Al Aufi added.

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