DO YOUR SHARE TO REDUCE TRASH
RANDOM dumping of waste is a threat to environment and spoils the beauty of public areas like picnic spots, beaches and parks Azhar al Hinai, Head of the Waste Management Section at the Environment Authority, said, “Undisposed waste is the breeding ground of microbes, insects and rodents which leads to diseases and epidemics.” Some types of waste “can release toxic fumes into soil, water, and food because they contain lead, cadmium, and mercury, thus affecting the health of the community and its members.” The daily practices of individuals have a very important impact in reducing this problem and keep Oman clean and beautiful. “Make sure to get rid of household rubbish responsibly. All you have to do is put the household rubbish in plastic bags and close it tightly before putting it in the rubbish bins so that cockroaches, mice and other insects that spread germs and diseases do not multiply, and it is also easier for workers to clean those bins,” she said. It is important, as she added, “To ensure that the garbage is placed inside the garbage bins and not next to them, so that cats, goats and mice do not tamper with it and scatter it. If the garbage bins are full, contact Be’ah Company to empty them”. There are many reasons why your contribution in reducing your personal output from waste whether at home or in factories is an urgent necessity. Azhar explained, “The increase in the size of garbage bins, is increasing the health and economic cost of disposal. It also leads to an increase in time, effort, and cost in waste sorting and transferring, in addition to increasing pressure on both the labour force and equipment.” You can reduce this cost by adopting sustainable and eco-friendly habits that help in reducing the accumulated garbage that the environment has to deal with. “These sustainable habits include rejecting what you don’t need (such as the conference’s pens and notebooks), reducing purchasing and consumption, reusing things instead of throwing them away (such as empty glass jars), and repairing tools instead of buying new ones (such as electronic devices),” Azhar said.
Donating and purchasing used products are also environmentally friendly ideas due to their effective contribution in reducing the burden on waste dumps and the environment.
Oman’s population currently stands at more than 5 million people. “Each of them produces about 1.2 kg of waste per day, and thus the potential negative repercussions resulting from the production of these huge quantities of municipal solid waste are increasing very significant with the passage of time,” she said.
Taking care of your daily choices will support the government efforts in reducing municipal waste. “You can, for example, use reusable products for a long time instead of items that end up in the trash after the first use (such as cloth bags instead of single-use plastic bags), and use kitchen utensils that can be washed and reused,” she said.
RECYCLING FACTORIES
Designing products by producers in a way that facilitates their recycling, as she pointed out, “Contributes in reducing waste, which leads to reducing its accumulation and its presence for longer periods, whether in the environment or in sorting.” Recycling is one of the options adopted by local concerned entities to address the large quantities that are received in engineering landfills in Oman. “There are approximately 67 recycling factories in Oman. Of which 18 are involved in plastic, which constitutes majority of the waste. Paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium, and iron waste are the most common in recycling in Oman.” Many projects convert waste into energy, producing organic fertiliser and renewable energy. The Environment Authority is also working to update laws, increase penalties, and intensify oversight of all industrial establishments and commercial stores in coordination with the competent entities to reduce waste.