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Tadweer Group, formerly Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company),  recently unveiled its refreshed brand identity and strategic vision. This transformation signifies not only a change in nomenclature but a profound commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence in waste management practices. 

As part of ADQ's Energy & Utilities portfolio, the company has focused its efforts on unlocking the value of waste, driven by the conviction that waste is a transformative resource. Speaking to Waste & Recycling magazine, Ali Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tadweer Group, commented, “This new era, built on our accomplishments in 2023, will enable us to create tangible change in the waste management sector, unlock value from discarded items and set new standards for the circular economy.” 

As part of its refreshed vision, Tadweer Group aims to pioneer advanced technologies, leverage diverse perspectives, and cultivate valuable partnerships to contribute to the UAE’s sustainability goals. “Ultimately, we are working towards our goal of diverting 80% of Abu Dhabi’s waste away from landfill by 2030 through promoting a circular economy. We’re doing this across multiple initiatives and work streams including Waste to Zero with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment,” Al Dhaheri added. 

Expanding its horizon

In addition to its commitment to Abu Dhabi, Tadweer Group has set ambitious international goals. It is actively forging partnerships and agreements with governments including Jordan, KSA, Japan and Uzbekistan, building on the UAE’s bilateral relations. By sharing its expertise and best practices, it lays the foundation for bringing its advanced approach to waste management. 

Contributing to green energy transition 

To maximise waste utilisation, Tadweer Group is developing a state-of-the-art waste to energy (WtE) plant in Abu Dhabi, set to begin building this year, and exploring the conversion of waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), graphene, hydrogen, and other important materials. Speaking about its WtE projects, Al Dhaheri said, “We are harnessing established and emerging technologies to convert organic waste into biogas or biofuels,” adding, “These opportunities allow us to transform waste into valuable energy resources like electricity, heat, or fuel, while also mitigating environmental pollution, such as Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and contributing to energy security by diversifying the energy mix.” It reduces reliance on fossil fuels and promotes the use of alternative resources derived from waste, thus enhancing energy resilience in the UAE. This is key for the UAE’s green energy transition, he noted. 

By employing LanzaTech’s technology, it seeks to convert waste into SAF and thereby contribute to the UAE’s National SAF Road Map and global environmental Life Cycle Assessment standards. 

Embracing technology and innovation

Tadweer Group places a strong emphasis on leveraging innovation to drive efficiency in waste management operations. From smart sensors optimising waste collection routes to advancing waste to graphene solutions, the company ensures it is at the forefront of embracing cutting-edge technologies to divert waste away from landfills.

In 2023, it signed an agreement with the climate tech company Levidian to bring its LOOP technology to an Abu Dhabi landfill, with the aim of recovering an estimated 1.2 billion cubic metres of landfill gas over the next 10 years. By employing Aquagrain’s soil enhancer technology, it is exploring the transformation of arid land into fertile soil, enhancing the economic and innovative value of circularity in the waste management sector. 

The Waste-to-Zero initiative

A cornerstone of the organisation’s sustainability efforts is Waste to Zero: The Global Initiative for Waste Decarbonisation, which was launched during COP28 under the leadership of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). Through this global initiative, Tadweer aims to reduce GHG emissions from the waste management sector by implementing innovative solutions and fostering collaboration across the value chain. Commenting on the initiative, Al Dhaheri said, “We believe it is a bold commitment to reimagine waste management, promote the reduction of emissions in the sector in line with the Paris Agreement and support the development of circular economy practices throughout the world.” 

How does it work? 

Waste to Zero will drive decarbonisation across five workstreams – starting with minimising the worldwide challenge of food waste. It will facilitate the revamp of global infrastructure to promote and enhance landfill diversion and eliminate harmful practices such as open burning and dumping. Further, it will promote transforming waste into valuable resources like compost, hydrogen or even graphene. Through these renewed recycling technologies, the initiative can unlock the full potential of a circular economy. Another key focus will be reducing emissions from the entire value chain, from collection to recycling. And lastly, the effectiveness of Waste to Zero will be augmented using digital tools and data solutions for monitoring and enabling impact.  

To achieve these workstreams, their strategy revolves around three pillars, explained Al Dhaheri. “First is collaboration: By working with governments, businesses, and NGOs, we will seek to build and bring all these different actors to the same table to discuss solutions. We aim to form partnerships and create a network that will drive impactful change on a global scale.  Second is sustainable solutions, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of waste. Third is harnessing the potential of new technology: By enabling and tracking impact through data and digital solutions, we can enable a comprehensive overview of reliable environmental data and accelerate the transition in the sector that will help unlock faster progress. Additionally, by fostering and promoting innovation, Waste to Zero will empower the sector to evolve towards cleaner and more efficient practices.” 

Waste to Zero is committed to delivering on three main milestones: 

• At COP28, Tadweer Group activated the work streams and announced plans for the future.
• At COP29, it aims to present the first baselining of the sector’s GHG emissions before proposing an industry-backed pathway for decarbonisation.
• At COP30, it will introduce the pipeline of bankable & decarbonisation projects, announce the launch of the first projects, and more.

The power of working together 

“We have ambitious targets for the future, and a powerful factor to our refreshed approach is a stronger focus on partnerships,” elucidated Al Dhaheri. In 2023, Tadweer signed major partnerships with governments, including Uzbekistan and Japan to explore digital solutions within waste practices. It has also partnered with major local players such as Aldar, Masdar City, Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), and more. Besides these, it signed an agreement with the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure (MOEI) and partners to develop sustainable GIM Concrete in the UAE; with Abu Dhabi Airports to explore innovative waste management practices; and with ADNOC, Etihad and Masdar to explore SAF production. It has also pioneered an integrated textile circularity initiative in collaboration with MOCCAE, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, Landmark Group, Lulu Group International, SOEX, Emirates Foundation (Ne’ma) and Emirates Red Crescent.  

Community engagement and education

Engaging the community is paramount to Tadweer Group's mission. Through targeted public awareness campaigns, educational programmes, and community outreach initiatives, the company aims to empower individuals to adopt responsible waste management practices. By fostering a culture of sustainability, Tadweer Group seeks to drive meaningful change at the community level. “At the core of our operations as a sustainable waste champion is people: both our own employees and the public,” remarked Al Dhaheri. It has a dedicated Community Engagement team to help raise awareness, inform, and guide the public on appropriate waste source segregation, and the importance of correctly disposing of waste. Public awareness campaigns and engagement programmes also help gather data, identify local issues, and encourage responsible waste management practices. ”Through engaging campaigns and rewarding recycling practices, we seek to inspire community-wide action,” he added. Tadweer Group also invests heavily in education through its work with schools, community festivals and businesses year-round to spread the message about waste reduction and recycling. In 2023 alone,  it worked with over 100 schools and 50 festivals, reaching over 200,000 people. “This has also taught us a lot about successes and challenges across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and how receptive people are to recycling. We know the community is very eager to participate in recycling activities but it takes more than one or two individuals to create the desired ripple effect.” 

Looking ahead

While Abu Dhabi has made notable strides in waste collection efficiency and landfill management, challenges persist in recycling and diversion rate. And this is part of Tadweer’s strategy in 2024 and beyond to ensure the Emirate remains on track to achieve its ambitions. 

In 2024, Tadweer’s focus is on advancing key initiatives to drive sustainable change. This includes the construction of a waste-to-energy plant and enhancing recycling through improved waste processing. It will continue to harness extensive renewable energy resources to achieve net-zero emissions, encouraging sustained commitment and cooperation from governments, industries, and communities. It aims to embrace technologies, such as smart sensors and fleet electrification, to help reduce the impact of waste collection activities.  

The rapid evolution of the waste management sector underscores the importance of reevaluating resources and capabilities to align with global sustainability goals. Moving forward, effective waste management strategies will necessitate a blend of technological innovation, public engagement, robust regulations, and a focus on resource efficiency.  By promoting comprehensive recycling programmes, responsible waste separation, incentives for recycling, and public awareness campaigns, Tadweer Group is committed to implementing optimal waste management solutions in the UAE and beyond.