A portable smart recycling centre will tour around Dubai schools to encourage students to adopt the culture of recycling, a Dubai Municipality official said.
As part of the ‘Smart and Sustainable Oasis Recycling Centre’ introduced by the Waste Management Department in May, the portable centre built at a cost of Dh500,000 will allow public schools students to recycle and segregate 25 types of waste, starting from the first quarter of 2017.
Now in its final design phase, the smart centre will operate using solar power and teach students the value of recycling different types of waste – inclu-ding aluminum, glass, bulbs, electronics, paper and plastic – on LED screens.
Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, director of the Waste Management department, told Khaleej Times that the centre will be composed of two big containers separated by a pathway, through which students can enter the unit and watch educational films on smart LED screens. On the sides of the containers, slots will be installed to allow students to apply their learning experiences.
“The young generation is the future, and it is highly important that we instill the habit of recycling in them from a young age. They will grow up to teach their children to protect their environment,” said Al Saifaie.
He said the first phase will cover government schools before moving on to private schools, allowing the centre to be used in each school for a period of three weeks.
While Averda is the manufacturing company working on the Sustainable Oasis Recycling Center, Al Saifaie noted the dep-artment will look to cooperate with private companies to produce more than one portable centre. “It is a very expensive project as it demands the use of higher technologies, so we are looking for volunteering companies to contribute to its costs,” said Al Saifaie.
The municipality has been working on installing smart re-cyclable centres throughout the emirate. Out of 13 centres, four have been installed in Karama Park, Al Manara Centre on Shaikh Zayed road, Hatta and Al Rashidiya. The next one will be installed in Al Muhaisnah park, with four more in the pipeline.
“We are currently focusing on municipality centres and public parks, but in future phases we will introduce more near the big hypermarkets,” said Al Saifaie. He added that the centres address the gaps needed in the community. “While we encourage people to recycle, the centres provide them with the place to do so,” he said.
Source: Khaleej Times
By: Sherouk Zakaria
