Smart innovations lead to major recycling push in the GCC region

By Anil Mathews (ScrapMonster Author)

May 25, 2016 07:51:18 AM

ABU DHABI (Scrap Monster): The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region countries have reported significant recycling progress in recent times, mainly due to adoption of ‘smart’ and ‘high-quality’ recycling techniques. The region’s first smart recycling centre in Dubai and the tie-up announced between Qatar government and Sicon to install innovative e-scrap recycling system are some of the major recycling initiatives witnessed by the region.

‘Smart’ recycling centre

The Dubai Municipality has recently announced opening of ‘Smart and Sustainable Oasis Recycling Centre’-the first smart recycling centre in the entire GCC region. The centre, located in the parking lot of Al Manara Centre on Shaikh Zayed Road, was established in partnership with Averda. The centre is being established to cut the quantum of waste going to landfills and promote recycling habits among residents. According to Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, the new recycling centre promotes waste reduction, reusability and recyclability. The Municipality plans to open more solar panel operated recycling centres in the near future.

Sustainability

Firstly, the recycling centre has been constructed using recycled materials. The floors are made of recycled wood. The main frame is made from a recycled shipping container. Secondly, the centre is equipped with solar panels and energy-efficient electrical fixtures. The centre is fully operated with the power derived from solar panels.

Intelligent

The ‘smart’ bins are equipped with intelligent relay sensors capable of feeding critical data back to Averda’s monitoring station. The bins are monitored by CCTV. The automatic motion sensor will activate an audio message welcoming the user. A centre is equipped with a smart screen to publish awareness messages. It also has a sound system that plays a thanks message to customers for using the recycling facility.

The smart e-waste bins will have a capacity of 1 cubic metre and will be capable to receive small electronic items such as mobile phones, tablets, trimmers, laptops, hair dryers, chargers, plastic, wood, leather and any other non-hazardous recyclable items that could fit into the bin lid. Light bulbs and bulbs are not acceptable.

The system is capable of providing information about the current filling level, so as to schedule the next date of collection. The sensors attached to the bin enable the company’s operations staff to interact live with the bins using GPRS techniques.

Two-stage e-scrap system

Qatar has recently signed a contract with Sicon to install two-stage e-scrap system which is capable of handling additional categories of materials. The appliances and other electronic scrap materials are comminuted with the help of state-of-the-art vertical shredder equipment. The IFE metal separators process them further in the product stream. During the second stage, non-ferrous metals are compacted using EcoShred Sphere balling mill. Circuit boards and stainless steel components are separated using multi-sensor sorter. The proprietary Polyfloat wet separation process separates plastic materials.

About Averda Dubai

Averda is the largest environmental solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa region, specializing in integrated resources management. Averda's extensive portfolio of services ranges from street cleaning through to waste collection, treatment, disposal and recycling.

About Sicon

SICON is an internationally active, medium-sized company that specializes in designing and building systems for recycling metals and plastics. Its core area of competence includes in particular the comminution of scrap (pre-shredders and main shredders), as well as the preparation of shredder residues and the density-based separation of plastics.