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Doha: To preserve the environment and address climate change, the Ministry of Municipality in collaboration with private companies disposed of 176,000 tonnes of used tyres in an eco-friendly manner during past three years.
The project, which was launched in 2020, disposed off 120,000 and 56,000 tonnes used tyre wastes stockpiled at Rawdat Rashid and Umm Al Afai landfills respectively.
Hamad Jassim Al Bahr, Director of Waste Recycling and Management Department.
“First of its kind in the region, the Ministry of Municipality has disposed off completely all stocks of used tyre wastes of the country,” said Hamad Jassim Al Bahr, Director of Waste Recycling and Management Department at the Ministry. Addressing a press conference yesterday, he said that this was in line with the Ministry’s strategy to achieve the sustainable development goals and Qatar National Vision 2030.
“The used tyre wastes which are being taken on daily basis will be received at a new site, to be announced soon, at Mesaeed near tyre recycling factories where they will be recycled immediately using latest eco-friendly technologies,” said Al Bahr.
He said that the project for disposing off tyres began in April 2020 at Umm Al Afai Landfill, in cooperation with the private sector.
“Tenders were awarded to three companies for shredding used tyres and exporting them. They disposed off completely the stocks of tyre wastes at the landfill site – at total of 56,000 tonnes used tyres,” said Al Bahr.
He said that 13,000 tonnes wastes were also removed from the landfill paving the way for the rehabilitation of the site, utilising for vital state projects.
“As for the Rawdat Rashid landfill, which was designated to receive used tyres at a rate of 2,000 tonnes per month, disposing off process went at a very slow pace,” said Al Bahr.
Until 2021, he said, the tyre disposal rate did not exceed 20% of the annual of the stock, due to the lack of companies operating in this field and the lack of a local market for them.
“In response, the ministry increased the number of tyre shredding workshops from four in 2020 to 23 in 2021, and signed an agreement in June 2022 with tyre recycling factories and tyre shredder workshops,” said Al Bahr.
He said a financial support of QR250 was provided for each tonne of used tyres recycled by factories and for the production of raw materials.
“The initiative enhanced tyre disposal process at a rate of 600% in the second half of 2022. By the end of January this year, about 120,000 tonnes of used tyres
were disposed off in the landfill, which is a great achievement,” said Al Bahr.
