UAE – The UAE is set to get its first food-grade plastic recycling facility in Abu Dhabi that will be able to process 12,000 tons of plastic a year.
The plan has been revealed following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), which will lay the groundwork for a new plastic recycling facility in the UAE.
Under the plan, a 12,000 tonnes per annum polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant has been earmarked for Abu Dhabi.
In line with the UAE’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution and boost trade through the export of recycled materials, the plant will recycle PET, a plastic material that is used in food packaging, such as plastic water bottles.
The 40,000-square-meter facility in the capital is also expected to create 100 jobs, and save 18,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions each year when fully operational.
Omar Al Suwaidi, Under-Secretary of MoIAT, said: “Collaboration is the key driver behind the shift towards a more sustainable industrial sector and a greener economy.
“Accordingly, the ministry focuses on facilitating partnerships between stakeholders, including financial institutions, national industrial companies, .and global corporations, with the aim of supporting GDP growth as well as the UAE’s net zero strategic initiative.”
The agreement involves resource management company Veolia’s Middle East Repeet subsidiary, UAE-based sustainability pioneer BEEAH Group, and food and beverage conglomerate Agthia.
It was signed in the presence of Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, executive director of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State for Industry and Advanced Technology, and Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.
In the frame of the project under study, Repeet would operate the recycling plant, while BEEAH Group would supply a seven-year feedstock of plastics.
Meanwhile, Agthia would provide a seven-year offtake for products. The feedstock will be post-consumed PET bottle bales while the offtakes will be food-grade recycled PET resin.
Following the signing, Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, said: “Aligning closely with the national vision and contributing to the UAE’s sustainability targets have been the driving force for our organization as we develop and implement circular economy solutions through our waste management business.
“Through this agreement, we can now further support the UAE’s sustainability agenda and accelerate the circular economy.
“We are honored to partner with MoIAT, Repeet and Veolia to tackle the important issue of plastic pollution and make a positive impact together on a larger scale.”
This partnership comes in line with MoIAT’s recent ministerial decree regulating the trade of recycled plastic water bottles.
The move aims to facilitate the manufacturing of water bottles using recycled plastic in line with top public health and food safety standards.
With time, more local water bottling companies are expected to embrace this circular economy journey and introduce more and more recycled plastic to produce their packaging.
This is projected to reduce and avoid 50,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions, enhance the national in-country value by Dh150 million (US$40.84m) annually, and create more than 1,000 jobs.
MoIAT works closely with industrial stakeholders, including financial institutions, to leverage incentives and enablers that lead to a business-friendly environment that is attractive to investors.
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