Dubai to impose 'waste disposal fee' starting May

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council has issued a decree on the waste disposal fees and fines in Dubai that will come into effect in May.
Starting May 17, Dubai Municipality will apply fees for the disposal of general waste, unwanted materials such as papers, tapes, CD-ROMs, fee for hazardous and medical waste treatment, depending on the quantity of waste carried by the transporter.
The decree also determines license fee for activities related to waste as well as the violations and fines.
Eng. Abdul Majeed Sifaie, Director of Waste Management Department of Dubai Municipality, noted that residential establishments do not come under its purview. The decree includes commercial establishments, factories, and private and public institutions in the emirate of Dubai.
He said the decree aims to encourage all categories and segments of the society to enhance the culture of sorting waste from the source and increase the quantity and quality of recycled materials. Therefore, it will provide a safe working environment to encourage investment and create new competitive opportunities in the field of waste management and treatment in Dubai.
The new decree seeks to regulate the waste management sector in the Emirate and to consolidate the principles and foundations of achieving sustainable development in this sector, namely the principle of segregating waste from all domestic, commercial and industrial sources, he said.
"Dubai is the largest business and economic center in the Middle East that attracts visitors and tourists, especially after being nominated to host Expo 2020, the world's leading economic event. The emirate is also an ideal destination for the world's leisure and medical tourism sector. Hence, the rates of all types of waste generation from all sectors of the society will increase steadily and will increase significantly unless legislation is adopted to contribute to the promotion of integrated waste management in the Emirate," said Sifaie.
He said the implementation of the new decree will lead to significant achievements in the field of integrated waste management, environmental and social sustainability, reduced carbon footprint, and reduced waste generation from the source.
"It is worth mentioning that many industrial and commercial companies have already begun to implement waste reduction plans. The number of these companies and institutions are expected to increase after the adoption and implementation of the new decree," said Sifaie. reporters@khaleejtimes.com