SearchRecovering and recycling is not only morally imperative but crucial for a sustainable future. Incessant waste has detrimental impacts on the natural environment with harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere from landfill sites. Various types of recycling help reduce the pollution caused by waste, while simultaneously reducing the need for raw materials and preserving natural areas. Bee’ah, the Middle East's leading, award-winning, environmental management company has positioned.
The company has positioned Sharjah as the environmental capital of the Arab world, making the emirate the first to reach zero-waste to landfill, by diverting 70% of its waste through recycling and conversion, but this is only the beginning, says Bee'ah. A full range of specialised and state-of-the-art recycling facilities have been established at Bee’ah’s Waste Management Centre to recover and recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, aluminium, organic, liquid, commercial and industrial waste. Bee’ah’s Material Recovery Facility is the third largest in the world and is currently processing over 1000 tonnes of general waste into new materials for re-use in the economy.
Every day, the Tyre Recycling Facility uses a modern cryogenic process to recycle 9000 used tyres into crumb rubber for running tracks, stadium play areas, miniature golf courses and artificial turf. In addition to waste-water evaporation ponds and facilities that are designed for construction and demolition waste, medical waste, compost, car and metal shredding, Bee’ah is building the largest electronics scrap (e-scrap) facility in the United Arab Emirates. Bee’ah will be partnering with Shurooq, the driving force behind the transformation of Sharjah; Gulf Islamic Investments (GII), a UAE-based financial services company known for its diverse set of risk-mitigated investment opportunities; and Attero Recycling India Ltd, the leading e-scrap recycling and metal extraction company in India, to invest in the venture, which is being called Attero-Tadwir-E.
Recycling e-scrap is becoming increasingly necessary in the modern world and these entities will combine forces to meet the computer and electronics recycling demands of the region by building the largest E-Scrap Dismantling & Processing Facility in the UAE. Bee’ah will collect and transport the electronic products to this facility, where they will be dismantled and recycled for parts that can be re-used. The process starts with assessing if the electronics are operational and in such cases, will be sold to the used goods market.
If the devices are not operational but repairable, a cost-benefit analysis will dictate whether they are refurbished and sold. Finally, devices that do not meet the aforementioned standards will be disassembled, with hazardous materials being disposed of safely, while recyclable materials will be sold. As part of the agreement, Bee’ah will make significant strategic investment in e-recycling, and house the new facility within its waste management complex. Commenting on this momentous collaboration, HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO, Bee’ah said, “This agreement is a sign of Bee’ah’s commitment to collaborating with other international leaders in their respective industries and sectors.” Al Huraimel placed Bee’ah’s e-scrap facility in a larger socio-economic context, explaining, “Constant technological advancements mean that older devices become obsolete at an increasing rate. Therefore, the need for electronics recycling is higher than ever before and will only continue to rise. Bee’ah, Shurooq, GII and Attero Recycling India are united in the endeavour to meet this demand.”
Adding his thoughts on the upcoming facility, Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, COO of Shurooq, said, “Shurooq continues to show its commitment to innovation, and of enhancing Sharjah’s appeal as a business destination, which is at the forefront of the latest investment opportunities. E-recycling will simultaneously achieve social, environmental and economic development of Sharjah, as well as a new investment opportunity, that will benefit the natural environment.” Nitin Gupta, CEO of Attero Recycling India (AT-E), explained the importance of electronics recycling: “Computer and electronic recycling is a preventive measure as well as a lucrative investment opportunity. Dangerous elements like lead, barium, polychlorinated biphenyls, beryllium, mercury, arsenic and cadmium cause various forms of cancer and other debilitating illnesses.
There are also data security concerns, where electronic data lands in the wrong hands and leads to unpredictable long-term liabilities for corporate entities. E-scrap also contains numerous high value components like gold, palladium, cobalt, lithium, and platinum, which have historically been recovered in very inefficient and capital intensive processes. More gold can be derived from e-scrap than mining ore.” There are currently only six copper recycling plants in the world with printed circuit board (PCB) recycling capacity, processing a fraction of the annual global discarded PCB stream. These plants require high operating expenditures and hundreds of millions in start-up capital. Attero-Tadwir-E has acquired proven technology to build precious-metal refining plants that exclusively use e-scrap, requiring low capital expenditures and low operating costs.
Therefore, Attero-Tadwir-E has the ability to set-up plants that are close to sources of e-scrap, said Bee’ah adding that its E-Scrap Dismantling & Processing Facility will have the opportunity to become the centerpiece of an end-to-end, e-scrap ecosystem, including sourcing, reverse logistics, component recycling, refurbishment and resale. The processing of e-scrap also provides a unique business opportunity as it is the fastest growing portion of the world’s waste stream. 41.8 million tonnes of e-scrap generated AED 188.5 billion in metal and plastic globally in 2014 (United Nations University). 800,000 tonnes of e-scrap is generated every year in the GCC, representing close to AED 3.7 billion in recoverable value for Attero Tadwir-E, in addition to unlimited e-scrap import potential.
The largely untapped markets for e-scrap include more than 50% of disposed electronic scrap which can be refurbished and sold back at high value. Also, non-IT scrap like refrigerators and washing machines contain large amounts of base metals, copper and precious metals. The hidden value and wealth of e-scrap is best established by contrasting its statistics with that of earth mining. One metric tonne of circuit boards contains between 40 to 80 times more gold and 30 to 40 times more copper than one metric tonne of mining ore. The production costs are comparatively much lower than traditional mining and e-scrap facilities require 91% less energy. Extracting minerals is highly damaging to the environment, whereas responsibly recycling e-scrap is positive and sustainable. Furthermore, the risks to recovery and discovery of valuable materials are drastically lower than mining. The location of e-scrap recycling facilities are also flexible and do not depend on proximity to ore.
Attero Recycling India (AT-E), with the support of GII, will set up integrated recycling, refurbishing and refining facilities across the GCC region, starting with its first state-of-the-art facility in Sharjah. AT-E is set to have between six to eight plants in various locations over next three years, with an approximate investment of USD 200 million. AT-E has proprietary mechanical, metallurgical and chemical expertise. Their patented component removal technology uses a combination of infrared and mechanical separation to remove components from PCBs with high recovery rates. Furthermore, AT-E’s proprietary induction furnace improves the removal of impurities to better metallurgical yields, according to Bee’ah. Attero Recycling is certified by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), allowing them to order parts and sell refurbished products under an OEM brand.
Data sanitation is performed as per the highest international standards (US Department of Defense, ISO, DIN etc.) Proprietary pricing, data mining and algorithms allow the e-recycler to optimise the gross margins on refurbished products sold. The facilities will utilise innovative recycling technology, developed in-house at Attero India’s facility. With Bee’ah’s support, they will ensure that e-scrap is processed in an environmentally friendly manner with high efficiency and a lower carbon footprint, according to the company. These facilities operate at a fraction of the cost of conventional multi-billion-dollar smelting facilities. AT-E will also be offering data security and data sanitation according to the most stringent global standards, as well as reverse logistics and an e-commerce platform, as a comprehensive solution to the generators of electronic scrap.
E-scrap includes the broad spectrum of electronic appliances, products, components, and accessories that have been discarded due to malfunctioning, exhaustion (batteries, bulbs, etc.), or obsolescence. E-scrap generation in the GCC is estimated to be at 600,000 metric tons in 2015, and is expected to reach 900,000 metric tons in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 7%. While Saudi Arabia is said to be the largest generator of e-scrap in the GCC, producing 330,000 metric tons annually, the UAE is the second largest, adding roughly 150,000 metric tons, every year. “We are very excited about the e-recycling agreement with these major entities. As a UAE-based, Sharia-compliant, financial services company, regulated by the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (ESCA), GII is dedicated to providing innovative, diverse investment possibilities.
This agreement is in line with UAE Vision 2021. With our support, AT-E is the first e-scrap management player in the region, covering the entire process of electronic scrap treatment, from collection to on-site precious metal extraction. Working with Bee’ah and Shurooq, GII demonstrates the on-going commitment of prominent shareholders and investors to providing a revolutionary and risk-mitigated investment opportunity in e-recycling,” said Mohammad Al Hassan and Pankaj Gupta, founding partners & co-CEOs of GII. Bee’ah, Shurooq, GII and Attero Recycling India chose Sharjah as the location for the largest electronic scrap facility in the United Arab Emirates because it met the conditions for feedstock sourcing, said Bee’ah.
Capitalising on existing e-scrap generators will develop a healthy sourcing pipeline for the facility, the company noted, adding that the agreement between the entities demonstrates the value of both local and import partners in the B2B segment to secure e-scrap feedstock. The pipeline is worth AED 106.5 million in recycling, AED 286 million in refurbishing and AED 1 billion in refining materials. E-scrap comes from three main sources: 75% are online and municipal consumers, 15% is from the private sector, and 10% comes from government sources. Of the e-scrap collected from consumers, 90% is non-IT scrap, while 90-95% of e-scrap collected from the government and private sector is IT scrap. The key performance indicator is the percentage of e-scrap treated through processes like recycling, incineration, waste-to-energy and chemical treatment.
Out of the total e-scrap generated, the percentage of that which is treated is currently 11.76%. The UAE Government wants to ensure ongoing development while simultaneously preserving the environment to achieve a balance between economic and social development. In Bee’ah’s view, the new e-scrap recycling facility will provide both a secure and environmentally conscious solution for the disposal of hazardous consumer goods that is commercially viable, while also advancing the cause of sustainability.