Are we going around in circles?

Waste as defined by Wikipedia: “any substance which is discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use.” The definition has, in part, dictated our perception and approach to the management of waste, focused on end of pipe solutions, linear models, transferring responsibility along the supply chain. Alongside this, society’s measure of growth and wealth is driven by production and consumption, a notion now being challenged by the principles of a circular economy, with a focus on business models around services as opposed to goods and products. 

Developed economies now work towards system-based approaches looking at the synergies and interfaces between waste and resource management, net zero and circular economy. They aim to seek a balance in ecosystems and have a no-waste society, putting value on natural capital. 

When we remember the behaviours of many of our ancient communities who existed at one with nature, taking only what’s needed and making efficient use of resources, we could be forgiven for thinking we are coming full circle. 

An evolving policy framework in the Middle East?

Waste is now rightly seen as a resource and there is a greater focus on maximising value. Landfill diversion actions are taken as a given. Emphasis is now further up the waste hierarchy. We need to implement different business models using circular economy principles, reducing consumption and minimising waste. Producers are becoming financially and reputationally accountable for the material and products they put on the market.

The recent focus on the Dubai introduction of gate fees¹ signals a significant policy shift in the Middle East. Dubai Municipality has confirmed the introduction of gate fees for treatment of waste from the beginning of 2022. This aims to:

• Promote sustainability.
• Encourage private sector investment.
• Allow the imposition of fees for waste disposal and treatment infrastructure to “cover their operational costs and raise the economic feasibility of investing in this field”. Fees will be weight based. 
• Encourage all waste generators to separate recyclable materials from the point of generation.

The Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) announcement² stated that Saudi Arabia's waste recycling sector needs capital investments worth about SR100 billion ($26.6 billion), according to Ziad Shiha, CEO of SIRC. This provides a clear signal to the market on the move away from landfill.

These announcements are not just about waste and supporting alternatives to landfill. Prior to COP26, the UAE has announced a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making them the first Gulf country and major oil and gas producing nation to make a net zero commitment³. 

This increases the imperative for a system-based approach and understanding the key role that waste management must play in supporting the delivery of net zero ambitions.

The role of waste in net zero ambitions

Too often the relationship between waste and net zero is only seen through the lens of reducing emissions associated with waste. Mitigation strategies are based on:

• Minimisation of waste to landfill. 
• Reducing C02 from combustion facilities.
• Capturing landfill emissions.
• Recovering and recycling specific carbon intense materials.
• Optimising transport logistics. 
• Vehicles moving away from fossil fuel sources. 

Clearly these strategies, alongside increased recycling, go some way towards contributing to these goals. But the waste sector has a bigger role to play – reducing consumption. The waste sector is about materials management. Circular economy is about delivering different business models. 

Focusing on waste minimisation and reduced consumption reduces the need for energy production throughout any product lifecycle, from sourcing materials, to production, distribution and sale. Retaining products in a circular economy is important, but the priority must be reducing the consumption and demand for these products and the associated material (and waste) generated.  

Decarbonising heat and electricity are fundamental to net zero. But removing the need for the energy must take priority. The waste sector has a key role to play based on experience across the globe in resource and materials management. 

Behaviour change is key to addressing consumption 

When looking at any resource management hierarchy the first step is avoidance. Where this is not possible, efficient use. If system efficiency cannot be achieved, seek balance and circularity, minimising environmental impact.

Avoidance requires changes in behaviour. This can be achieved through correct application of different behaviour models:

1. Demand management – Forcing a change in behaviour through legislation, taxes, bans etc.
2. Supply management – Restricting the ability to undertake a behaviour, though efficiency, technology, etc.
3. Voluntary management – People understand why they need to change their behaviour and see the value, causing them to do so of their own accord.

Too often policy makers focus on demand or supply management approaches, but once these interventions are removed, behaviour reverts to as it was prior to the intervention. Sustained behaviour change requires voluntary management measures where there is an understanding of the common purpose, and where the change in behaviour is not forced but freely entered in to. 

The role of good data and systems is key to making informed decisions

Good waste data allows insight for communication, management and decision making. To effectively manage waste, the ability to improve commercial, technical, or environmental decision making is based on understanding of:

• What you are handling - in terms of the composition and volume of materials
• The efficiency of the processes deployed in managing these materials
• Regular, standardised data to make informed decisions

Waste management systems also, often come with multiple stakeholders with different data needs. However, the data frameworks need not be complex.

Collecting data across the waste ecosystem can help:

1. Provide visibility of system flows to understand the performance of current assets, regions, or types of facilities. In turn, this data can be used to calculate KPIs across the value chain and benchmark performance against peers. It helps to understand where system vulnerabilities exist and the relative performance of different assets.
2. Compliance on material handling that supports data reconciliation that can in turn support licencing requirements.
3. Industrial symbiosis providing visibility across different industries on available offtake and feedstock requirements to facilitate material exchange promoting circular systems. 

Through implementation of new landfill gate fees, infrastructure, and net zero ambitions, it will be important to understand these material flows in sufficient detail with confidence. A robust data system will help avoid loss of material (and revenue) and facilitate reconciliation. This will support reporting and transparency on performance as new financial drivers are implemented that will cause the unexpected movement of wastes.

A data strategy will clearly set out how data will be acquired, stored, managed, shared and used. Working through a proven process, the strategy will help provide support to the identification of what data is required and how to collect it, within a structured data framework. Typically, they would include:

• What data is required and priorities?
• Why is the data required (mandatory, required, useful, “Nice to have”)?
• When will the data be collected and at what repeat frequency? 
• Who will collect the data?
• How will the data be collected?
• Units of measurement.
• How will the data be reported?
• How much will the data cost to collect? ROI? 

The importance of setting realistic diversion targets

The quality and accuracy of data for dream end goals is very different to that for measuring performance or process goals. For example, zero waste to landfill, delivered through a vision of diversion of waste from landfill, requires more granular and accurate data to report on target milestones or against specific strategic objectives.

A robust data strategy and data framework allows realistic targets to be set, based on a clear understanding of how data will be collected, by whom and when and in what format to facilitate monitoring.   

Equally a data strategy will help to understand if the right data is being collected to meet strategic objectives. For example, to deliver against net zero ambitions and implement circular economy goals may require different metrics from material weights and proportion of waste no longer sent to landfill, focusing on generation, valorisation, carbon and so on.  

In conclusion, to avoid going around in circles, to capitalise on system-based strategies that concurrently deliver waste management and decarbonisation objectives, requires accurate data. Clarity on what data to collect is critical, and the purpose of collecting this is a pre-requisite of setting any target. This allows realistic targets that measure the right metrics with established baselines to be set. Achieving these targets requires behaviour and societal change.

The author is Head of Waste and Resource Management Business Development and Growth, Ricardo.

1. https://www.dm.gov.ae/2021/08/04/dubai-municipality-to-implement-measures-to-raise-emirates-profile-as-a-global-model-for-sustainable-development/

2.https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/projects/story/Saudi_waste_recycling_needs_capital_

investments_worth_266bln_SIRC_CEO-SNG_249206353/

3.https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2021/10/07/uae-unveils-net-zero-initiative-for-2050/