The facility achieved this impressive feat by recovering 69 million pieces of plastic materials, equalling 1700 tonnes in November. Bee’ah says every month its MRF now processes over 80 tonnes of household waste per hour; and recovers 27.30 million water bottles, 37.50 million plastic bags, 4 million hard beverage containers, 3.9 million used aluminium cans, 5.72 million containers of ferrous materials and 1350 tonnes of fibres like paper and old corrugated cardboard. “Right from its inception, Bee’ah has driven the ambition of achieving a circular economy in the UAE, and of zero diversion of waste to landfills in Sharjah.

This retrofit and the remarkable results that have emerged as a result of its installation, brings us one step closer to this far-reaching ambition. Plastic materials have always been a cause of concern, thanks to their non-biodegradable nature. Thanks to our MRF’s capabilities as a world leader in recovering plastics, we will be able to ensure that plastic consumption in the UAE does not lead to long-lasting repercussions for our economy,” commented HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah.

The new retrofit has introduced state-of-the-art technology like automated bag breakers, polishing screens, debris roll screens, Nihot air separators and optical sorters. The automated bag breakers were the first upgrade and eliminate the need for manual bag opening, says Bee’ah. The facility’s new Debris Roll Screen uses four sets of adjustable, compound discs for highly-accurate material sizing, while the Nihot Air Separator uses a combination of air and rotating drums to separate materials based on density and shape. The new polishing screens separate mixed fibre, plastics and fine materials by evaluating the 2D and 3D characteristics of the materials. Increasing the efficiency of processing plastic bags and PET bottles, the optical sorters will use sensors, in combination with air jets, to separate these materials off conveyor belts, according to the company.