Studies have shown that up to 60 per cent of the municipal solid waste in most cities in the GCC region is organic. Do you think the region is managing this waste the right way?

Aliyu Mohammed Ali: The majority of the waste in the GCC is, indeed, organic waste. Although governments are working towards recycling and reusing, there is still room for improvement. At Ehfaaz Recycling, we are trying to utilise organic waste and achieve ‘bio- economical’ circularity, however, we cannot do this alone. The entire economy must be involved. There should be better regulations, governance and a commitment from large and small organisations to ensure that waste is disposed of the right way.

 On the other hand, recycling companies should ensure they are constantly innovating and providing new solutions to address the waste issues.

Muhammad Danbappa: We have seen the governments coming up with multiple initiatives. For example, in the UAE, Sharjah has established a waste-to-energy plant. These kinds of projects are large-scale and take time to come into effect. Hence, companies such as ours should address one angle of a waste issue concurrently. Due to various reasons, this region is generating a huge quantity of food waste. This should be taken into consideration when organic waste management strategies are planned.

Going forward, what should be the roadmap for recycling organic waste?

Danbappa: The goal should be to promote circularity and move beyond the traditional linear model. To achieve this, we have to promote reusability and sustainability. At Ehfaaz, we focus on supporting waste generators to work on zero waste landfill initiatives that will allow them to eliminate the need for sending the materials to incinerators or resort to ad hoc solutions.

There can’t be a single solution when it comes to organic waste management. Each type of waste will need a different roadmap. For example, if you take the organic waste that is coming from the factories or from F&B industries, they can be donated or sent to a Food Bank, such as the one run by the Dubai Municipality. But if we are talking about expired food products from supermarkets, then the roadmap should be to turn this food waste into a resource by separating food content from packaging. At Ehfaaz, we convert organic material into compost.

As far as organic waste is concerned, how achievable is circularity?

Ali: Despite rising food insecurity and pollution, it is shocking that we are still sending food to landfills. Millions of tonnes of food waste that end up in landfill could be returned to the soil as compost and enable regeneration of soil, thus achieving a circular economy. Soil regeneration is important, especially in a region, such as the Middle East.

The challenge here is packaging. It requires effort to remove food materials from the packaging. But if you think about the whole spectrum of organic waste, that’s the only thing we can do to help ourselves.

Danbappa: Increasing circularity in the UAE is absolutely a possibility. The region aims to be the best in everything it does. With the framework and legislation in place, we have absolutely all the requirements there is to achieve this.

What are the challenges in managing organic waste?

Danbappa: The number one challenge when it comes to managing organic waste is the huge amount of waste that is generated in the region.

Governments are doing their part by implementing regulations and allowing recycling companies to set shop and bring innovative solutions. Resources in the form of funds, expertise and knowledge, are the need of the hour. The region is running out of landfill space. Not to mention the fact that the organic waste also emits methane gas, which is a major contributor to global warming. As I mentioned earlier we see many stopgaps and ad-hoc solutions in place. And one of the main initiatives the government is coming up, is a waste-to-energy plant. This plant will help to turn the waste materials into new resources such as electricity. This is in line with our mission here of giving used resources a new life.

Ali: We’ve come a long way regulation-wise. But we also need strict enforcement. In countries such as South Korea, there are strict regulations against discarding food waste. As far back as 2005, food waste going to landfill has been prohibited in South Korea. Its Ministry of Environment sets a good example with a system of fines for uneaten food in the ministry’s staff cafeteria. This is something to be emulated. Dubai is a kind of place where nothing is impossible. The Dubai government ordered a major rise in the cost of depositing non-recyclable waste in the landfill early this year and introduced a fee for single-use plastics. And there are more to come.

We personally have been in consultation with some of these government agencies to lend our voice and expertise on how these regulations can be formulated for the maximum impact. Of course, waste management is a challenge but we are positive that it will be done. Also, people are more aware today of waste management and disposal. We have seen people travelling from afar to drop off their waste at recycling stations. This is a good sign and is encouraging.

What’s the quantity of waste handled by Ehfaaz?

Danbappa: On a daily basis, we have. We have the capacity to process over 50 tonnes of materials and out of this, close to 10 or 11 tonnes is converted into compost. This waste is basically coming from manufacturers, retailers, distributors in F&B establishments. They are converted into 100 per cent organic fertilizers.

Tell us about the technology used for composting

Danbappa: Ours is a breakthrough technology that converts all types of organic waste into 100 per cent premium grade organic fertilizer within 24 hours.

Before we started Ehfaaz, we did a quick research on the technologies available across the globe and Ehfaaz’s technology is the fastest so far in the organic treatment industry. The end product is 100 per cent pure and it is a certified organic fertilizer, rich in organic matter, that is also odourless. The technology works in combination with proprietary enzymes, which operates under high-temperature conditions in a specifically designed incubator. It breaks down the complex organic compounds into simpler components at a high speed. This automatisation uses an enclosed system which treats the organic waste that results in a consistent product which can be used by farmers, landscaping companies and soil conditioner companies.

Ali: Composting typically takes six to nine months. But our technology does it in 24 hours. In the past, people had to contend with smelly, polluted landfills. But today, with a bit of technology, a little bit of know-how and a lot of passion, you can solve the organic waste problem in no time. This solution will go a long way in our aspiration to achieve a circular economy.