zero waste report - english

IndyACT

© 2010 IndyACT / GAIA

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FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT TO MATERIAL MANAGEMENT: ZERO WASTE IN THE ARAB WORLD

July, 2010

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From Waste Management to Material Management: Zero Waste in the Arab World

Table of Content

Executive Summary 3

1.0 Introduction 4

1.1 IndyACT – The League of Independent Activists 4

1.2 GAIA – The Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives 4

1.3 Objectives of the Report 4

2.0 Fundamentals of Zero Waste 5

2.1 The Zero Waste Concept 5

2.2 Objectives of Zero Waste 5

2.3 Principles of Zero Waste 5

2.4 Implementation Strategies for Zero Waste 6

2.4.1 Setting Zero Waste Targets 6

2.4.2 Extended Producers’ Responsibility 7

2.4.3 Providing Incentives 7

2.4.4 Developing the Resource Recovery Industry 8

2.4.5IncinerationandLandfillBans 8

2.4.6 Public Participation 9

2.5 The Benefits of Zero Waste 9

2.6 Zero Waste Around the Globe 10

3.0 Waste Resources in the Arab World 11

3.1 Situation in the Region 12

3.2 Material Management in Industrialized Arab Nations 12

3.2.1 Waste Management in Industrialized Arab Nations 12

3.2.2 Zero Waste in Industrialized Arab Nations 13

3.3 Material Management in Service-Based Arab Nations 13

3.3.1WasteManagementinService-BasedArabNations 13

3.3.2ZeroWasteinService-BasedArabNations 14

4.0 Achieving Zero Waste in the Arab World 15

4.1 Forming A Zero Waste Committee 15

4.2 Legislation 15

4.3 Funding 15

5.0 References 16

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ZeroWasteisanewgoalforanewcentury-onethatseekstoredesignthewaythatresourcesandmaterialsflowthrough society taking a ‘whole system’ approach. It is a design principle which ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace. The philosophy has arisen out of the realisation that the wastefulness of our society is compromising the ability of nature to sustain our needs and the needs of future generations. It is a new approach that already exists and is being pioneered by leading corporations, municipalities, and progressive governments. Zero Waste envisions the complete redesign of the industrial system so that we no longer view nature as an endlesssupplyof materialsformakingproductsthatbreakdownwithinaperiodandarethendiscardedintolandfillsorincinerators. ZeroWasteisnotonlyaboutrecyclinganddivertingwastefromlandfillsandincinerators.Itenvisionstherestructuringof production and distribution systems to prevent waste from being manufactured from the outset. Zero Waste recognizes that production and economic systems are not linear, but represent circular or web-like relationships. Zero Waste is a target for all sectors of society to aim for - one that resets the compass so that governments, communities and businesses no longer base their viability on wasting the Earth’s resources. Zero Waste is not reliant purely on recycling. The growing volume of waste is the result of wasteful production processes and excess packaging. In order to solve the growing waste problem, steps should be taken to reduce the amount of waste produced by industries and decrease the amount thrown out by consumers. Zero Waste is a total approach from the beginning to the end of the production process. It incorporates the principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which ensure manufacturers take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products and packaging. If a product and its packaging cannot be reused, recycled or composted then the producer should bear the cost of collection and safe disposal. Government policy can encourage manufacturers to eliminate materials and products that are not reusable, recyclable or compostable. Producer responsibility legislation is already emerging around the world. In Europe, for example, the End of Life Vehicles Directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directives set high targets for reuse and recycling and exclude the use of hazardous materials.

Other key principles of Zero Waste include:• Theprecautionaryprinciple:whenindoubt,leaveout• Designfordisassembly:increasesthechancestofixaproductinsteadof throwingitalloutandbuyanewone• Reverselogistics:weneedtobuildasystemthatinsurestheflowof materialinbothwaysthroughthehumansystem• Proximity principle: using local products not only benefits local economy, but also has environmental andsustainabilitybenefits

Benefits of Zero Waste are:• Environmental protection:‘ZeroWaste’hastheleastimpactonenvironmentamongallsolutions.Itreducespollution to air, land and water. It preserves resources, and reduces greenhouse gases the most.• Economical development: ‘ZeroWaste’generatesmorejobopportunitiesthanallothersolutions.Itisthecheapest solution, and creates raw material for industry thus reducing the need for import of raw material. It empowers local communities and increases tourism.

To implement ‘Zero Waste’ governments should:• adopta‘ZeroWaste’strategywithspecificshort-medium-andlong-termtargetsforthereductionof wastegeneration and includes all ‘Zero Waste’ principles and concepts,• forma‘ZeroWaste’committeeoragencychargedinimplementingtheZeroWastestrategyandachievingtheset targets, • adoptExtendedProducerResponsibilitylegislation,• bantheuseof incineratorsasawastemanagementoptioncompletely,• developtheresourcerecoveryindustry,• provideincentivesforthepublictoreduceproductionof waste,• insurepublicparticipationinallaspectsof thematerialmanagementapproach.

TheArabworldhasthepotentialtobenefitfromsuchanapproach,andshouldstrivetoadoptthe‘ZeroWaste’concept and principles.

Executive Summary

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INDYACT } The League of Independent Activists IndyACT is a global non-political league of independent environmental, social and cultural activists aiming to achieve an active, healthy, safe, and equitable planet. Founded in the summer of 2006, when a group of veteran and skilled activists from different countries came together to work on the worst environmental disaster in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean – the Lebanese oil spill resulting from the July 06 war. Now, IndyACT is running several local, regional and international campaigns that use non-violent and innovative ideas to inspire positive change. IndyACT mainly operates in the Arab region and international fora, but is also present in the Americas,inEuropeandinthePacific. IndyACT’smottois“PassionwithProfessionalism”,whichisreflectedinall of its projects and activities. Passion provides the drive for perfection andachieving the greatest results, while professionalism provides a high quality output aswellasstrongefficiency.Combiningpassionandprofessionalismsignifiesthehigh standards applied in the private sector are being delivered with the passion and innovation of social entrepreneurs.

GAIA } The Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives GAIAisaworldwideallianceof non-profitorganizationsandindividualswhorecognizethatourplanet’sfiniteresources,fragilebiosphereandthehealthof people and other living beings are endangered by polluting and inefficientproduction practices and health-threatening disposal methods. Weopposeincinerators,landfills,andotherend-of-pipeinterventions.Ourultimatevision isa just, toxic-freeworldwithout incineration.Ourgoal isto implement “clean production”, and the creation of a closed-loop, materials-efficienteconomywhereallproductsarereused,repairedorrecycledback intothe marketplace or nature. GAIA members work through regional networks and issue workgroups which provide the opportunity to transcend national and regional borders in order to collaborate with others around the world.

OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT The alarmingly steep waste generation rates in the Arab world coupled with the ominous future predictions for growth calls for us to reconsider the way we are currently managing our waste. Developing countries lack the resources and infrastructure to dispose their waste by traditional means, whereby most villages in rural areas still rely on uncontrolled burning of their waste. On the other side of the spectrum, wealthier Arab nations have become industrialized nations with the highest rate of waste generation. Although these countries have installed state-of-the-art treatment and disposal technologies, the question to be asked is how effective and sustainable are end-of-pipe technologies when global consumption is taking us to the limits of our natural resources. Zero Waste, a relatively recent concept based on material management principles, may hold the key to our loomingwastecrisis,andatthesametimehelpclosetheloopof materialflowand enable us to reach sustainable societies. The following report investigates the applicability of the principles of Zero Waste to the developing and developed Arab states. The report recommends material management practices to achieve sustainable solution for the waste by conservingourfiniteresourcesandeliminatingunsustainableandpollutingend-of-pipe disposal technologies

1.0Introduction 1.1

1.2

1.3

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THE ZERO WASTE CONCEPT With their failure to achieve the highly-prioritized “waste prevention” and famous three R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) policies, countries are beginning to realize that integrated solid waste management is not the solution it was believed to be. The focus of decision makers in some developing and developed nations is slowly but steadily shifting to a broader and more sustainable solution – which is the integration of material management or the concept of ‘Zero Waste’. Policy makers are questioning the logic behind the emphasis on disposal as a solution to wasted materials when it is more economical and environmentally sustainable to recover discarded materials and gradually eliminate the ones that are not “recoverable”. Morever, all industrial systems, from design, extraction, production and distribution are being rethought. Zero Waste is a relatively recent concept in waste management. According to Murray 2002, the term originates from the successful Japanese industrial concept of Total Quality Management (TQM). By emphasizing on the whole lifecycle of products, Zero Waste manages the sources of waste rather than the manage waste itself; Thus, the disease rather than the symptom. Zero Waste challenges the logic behind handling wasted materials, which are the outcome of the material lifecycle, independently from their production and consumption processes. Therefore, in a Zero Waste system, resource management is the only solution to our mounting waste crisis. “The starting point is not the waste sector as such but the systems of production and consumption of which waste forms a part” (Murray, 2002). OBJECTIVES OF ZERO WASTE Although its name suggests otherwise, the Zero Waste concept does not claim to eliminate waste completely, but aims to achieve it as a goal that we constantly strive through. It is similar to the ‘Zero Defect’ goal set by Toshiba who have reached an astonishing result of one defect per million in their products. We might never go down to zero, but by starting with Zero Waste principles we can reach the closest to zero. With this in mind, Zero Wasteaimstoachievethefollowing: 1) Clean production:ZeroWasteaimstophaseouttheproductionand utilization of toxic chemicals by redesigning products and manufacturing methods. In other words, why focus on how to treat or remediate anthropogenic contaminants, that resist the natural processes of material breakdown, when you can gradually eliminate their production and utility within production and manufacturing processes. 2) Environmental protection from waste treatment:Thesecondobjectiveof ZeroWasteisthereductionof theair,waterandsoilemissionsresulting from product utility and the end of pipe treatment waste. In suchcase,disposaltechnologiessuchasincinerationandlandfilling,whichultimately emit contaminants into the environment, are not in line with the zerodischargeandemissionsobjectiveof ZeroWaste. 3) Sustainable material economy:Onanotherlevel,ZeroWasteaims to reduce material consumption in general, and to eliminate material waste for disposal. Material consumption even the non-toxic ones that are recycled, still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions due to the fact that they need to be processed, manufactured and transported. Zero Waste principles address material consumption intensity, and regulate consumption patterns.

PRINCIPLES OF ZERO WASTE When translated into practical terms, Zero Waste embraces, within a single framework, familiar environmental principles, the Extended

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2.0Fundamentals of Zero Waste

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Producers’ Responsibility in particular, Precautionary Principles, the Proximity Principle and the Diversity Principle. These principles are the cornerstones of the ZeroWaste concept and objectives and help guidedecisionswithoutprescribingspecificstrategies.

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): EPR extendsmanufacturers’ responsibilities beyond their current accountabilities - for worker health & safety, consumer safety, and production costs - to also include responsibility for life cycle of their products and associated packaging. The essence of EPR is its requirement for manufacturers to ‘take back’ their end-of-life products and create closed-looped systems that prevent pollution and manage an efficientuseof resource.• Precautionary Principle:ThePrecautionaryPrincipleprohibitsthe adoption of a technology or product unless safeguards are in place and if there is a (sufficient) reason to believe that thetechnology or product causes no harm to human health or to the environment.• Proximity Principle: With regards to resource recovery, theProximity Principle suggests that the highest use for resources or recovered materials should be sought within the shortest distance possible. Accordingly, this principle promotes the unnecessary cost of transportation, as well as the development of local economies. • Diversity Principle:TheDiversityPrinciplecallsfortheuseof customized and community-based solutions for dealing with wasted resources as opposed to relying on “cookie-cut” capital-intensive structures that are generally rigid and of massive scale.

OthersupportingZeroWasteprinciplesinclude:• Extended operator’s liability, which extends the liabilities of wastefacilityoperators(landfills,incinerators,etc)andincludesthelong-term environmental and human health impacts caused by their operations.• Design for disassembly, where industry makes sure that their products can be disassembled into parts that can be replaced instead of replacing the whole product.• Selling services rather than products,makesitmoreprofitablefor manufacturers to produce higher quality and longer lasting products. One example is Xerox Europe, which was able to reduce theirproductwasteby90%and increaseprofitsby75millionUSdollars through renting their high quality photocopiers rather than selling them.• Reverse logistics, where retail distribution systems are used in both directions, to supply products and to take-back the same products for recycling.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR ZERO WASTE The Zero Waste principles above constitute the backbone of the Zero Waste Concept. However, when it comes to implementation, a continually adjustedstrategyisneeded.KeystrategiestotransformthetraditionallinearproductionanddisposalprocessintoaZeroWastesysteminclude:

2.4.1 Setting Zero Waste Targets Settingcleargoalswithdefinedtimeframeswithinawastestrategyisoneof thefirststepstoachieveZeroWaste.Onthefirsthand,suchafeatinstigates a drive to accomplish the goal due to its associated accountability. When a target is set, it is often accompanied by a governing body who is

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responsible to oversee its success. On the second hand , “ambitious” targets encourage radical innovations and thereby shorten the road to Zero Waste. Settingtargetsalsohelpmitigatethethreatof vestedinterestgroupsworkingagainst Zero Waste. Targets should be continuously monitored, periodically updated, and have clear designated timeframes for the various components of the wastestream.RobinMurraysuggestsaimingforrecycling50%of thewastestreamin5years,70%in10years,85%in15years,andZeroWastein20years (Murray R., 2002).

2.4.2 Adopting Extended Producers’ Responsibility Also known as ‘producer take-back’, EPR is a fundamental cornerstone of Zero Waste that can be easily adopted within a country’s waste plan. The basic theory behind EPR is to place the social and environmental impacts of a product within the responsibilities of the party that is most adept at improving these impacts – or, in other words, the product manufacturer. The manufacturer becomes accountable for the impacts imparted throughout the lifecycle of the commodity including material extraction, production, product usage, and product discard. SeveralcountrieshaveadoptedEPRwithintheirwastemanagementstrategies.TheEuropeanUnion’sDirectiveonWaste fromElectrical andElectronic Equipment (WEEE) requires that producers be responsible for end-of-life management of their products. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has also embraced EPR as an economicallyefficientwaytointernalizethecostof productwasteandpushmanufacturersto:

• Adoptcleanerproductionandefficientlyusenaturalresources;• Designproductsmoredurableproductsthatcanbeeasilyreused,disassembled or recycled;• Createsaferandmoreefficientrecyclingsystems;• Reduce the disposal of wastedmaterial, leading to a reductioninthenumberof landfillsandincineratorsandtheiraccompanyingenvironmental impacts;• Absorb the cost of disposal from the government and thetaxpayer; and • Reduce the burden off municipalities for the physical and orfinancialrequirementsof wastemanagement.

Another important benefit of EPR is social justice.WhenEPR isapplied the cost of product disposal will be reflected in the cost of theproduct itself. Thus, consumers will be paying for the disposal of the products theyconsumeratherthanpayingaflatratetothelocalorcentralizedwastemanagement institute.

2.4.3 Providing Incentives Settingfiscalandnon-fiscalincentivesisasure-firewaytoprodtheindustry to adhere to a Zero Waste strategy. A mixture of incentives may be usedtoensureprogresstowardsaZeroWastegoal,suchas:

•Landfill bans:Materials that can be recovered from thewastestreamshouldbeprogressivelybannedfromlandfilldisposal.Also,items that are known to create toxic leachate problems should also bebannedfromlandfilldisposal.• Pay as you throw, and save as you recycle: In linewith thePolluter Pays Principle, waste generators should pay directly and in proportion to their wasting behaviour. On the other hand, residences that recycle or separate their waste will get tax breaks for

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saving resources. This is one of the best ways to educate the public that there is a cost to wasting and economical gains for recycling.• True cost products:Thepriceof anygoodshouldalsoincludeits resource management costs. • True cost waste disposal and differential pricing:Duringthephase out of disposal, it is important that real cost accounting and differential pricing principles are used to calculate disposal fees in order to encourage resource recovery and source segregation as well as to discourage wasting. • Landfill and packaging levies:Landfillleviesorleviesonnon-recyclable packaging waste and can be charged to fund a Zero Waste strategy and/or council.• Deposit refund schemes: A simple mechanism to promoterecycling can be set up based on the return of a monetary deposit to a consumer upon the return of used food and beverage containers. This also creates meaningful income and employment opportunities.• Separate at Source:Establishmandatorywet/drysegregationof household waste.

2.4.4 Developing the Resource Recovery Industry The supply of products and materials to consumers is a complicated chain of processes such as extraction, design, manufacturing, retail, marketing, supplychainmanagementaswellastransport.Similarly,therecoveryof end-of-lifeproductsback intothemarketrequiresareciprocalflowof goods,which is also known as the reverse logistics. However, this return chain – the resource recovery industry – does not emerge spontaneously through the power of market forces without the help of an effective combination of incentives,suchas:

• Developingtherecyclingindustry• DevelopingResourceRecoveryCenters1 • Organizingandfacilitatingmaterialrecoverysystems• Developingcommunityrecyclingparks• Designing a material recovery system that complements2 the wasting system• Developingresourcerecoveryfacilitystandards• Providingcurbsidecollectionstoallhouseholds• Developingmultiplestreamcollections• Establishingwasteexchanges3 • Stockpilingresources4

2.4.5 BanningIncineration One fundamental strategy of Zero Waste is a total ban on all types of incineration,includingplasmaarc,pyrolysis,waste-to-energy,gasificationand other waste destruction technologies. The problems related to waste incineration, a technology that came into vogue in the 1980s, are astounding. They include environmentalcatastrophes due to unavoidable pollutant releases, as well as high economic costs, unsustainability, and incompatibility with other waste management systems. With regards to their impact on the environment and human health,incineratorsareamajorsourceof dioxins,afamilyof halogenatedorganic compounds, that are known teratogens, mutagens and suspected carcinogens, and which are persistent bio-accumulators. Among their many health effects, dioxins are known to cause cancer, immune system damage, reproductive and developmental problems. Incinerators are also responsible for considerable mercury pollution5 ; release of other heavy

1 Resource Recovery Centers are materials processing and trading hubs where wasted materials are collected, processed, dismantled and marketed back into the economy. Materials from recycling drop-off points, industry, retail, and construction and demolition businesses feed into these centers and are then sold to the recycling sector, industry or the public.

2 A recourse recovery solution should be provided for all waste outlets such as street-side barrels, transfer stations, household wheel bins, etc.

3 A venue for businesses to utilize each other’s waste products.

4 Stockpiling is a proven strategy for managing commodity price fluctuations, or waiting for markets to emerge, but it does require space.

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metal pollutants such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium; production of other (non-dioxin) halogenated hydrocarbons; emission of acid gases that are precursors of acid rain; release of air-borne particulates; emission of greenhouse gases; and generation of toxic ash. The issue with incineration is that even if you can make it safe, youcannotmakeitsustainable.Incineratorsplacehugefinancialburdenson communities, drain local communities of financial resources, wasteenergy and materials, hinders local economic development, undermine waste prevention and rational approaches to discard management, have an operatingexperienceinindustrializedcountriesfilledwithproblems,cangofinanciallybankrupt from tonnage shortfalls, andoften leavecitizensandtaxpayers paying the bill. Incinerators, particularly those that have pollution control systems installed, are formidably expensive. Local authorities that invest in incinerators oftenfindtheyhavelessmoneytoinvestinmoresustainableformsof wastemanagement. Thus, incinerators need a continued generation of waste to supporttheirhighbuildingandoperatingcosts.Studieshaveclearlyshownthat the adoption of incineration technologies hinders waste minimization and prevention efforts, which is a main contradiction to the Zero Waste concept. Incinerator companies have been trying to promote their technology in various ways to overcome the mounting public opposition to incinerators. The latest argument is that waste-to-energy incinerators are an alternative source of energy and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, if we consider life-cycle analysis of materials and resources, recycling reduces energy use many times more than waste-to-energy incinerators. Recycling avoids the energy-intensive processes of extracting, processing and transporting raw materials. Forexample,recyclingpaperhasaddedclimatebenefitsbysustainingtrees and avoiding additional harvesting. This maintains carbon storage in forests, both in trees and in the soil. Waste-to-energy incinerators would actually be increasing greenhouse gas emissions if they are replacing or hindering recycling and waste minimization.

2.4.6 Insuring Stakeholder and Public Participation Anotherimportantcomponentof aZeroWasteStrategyisprovidinga venue for public participation as well as access to information. Various private, civil and public stakeholders are involved in the realization of Zero Waste targets, and the role of each is crucial to ensure success. However, it is the public that possesses overriding will to implement ZeroWastestrategiesandinfluencedecision-making,andshouldbeinvolvedformally and informally. A range of awareness and educational programs should be included within the Zero Waste strategy so as to further involve the public and civil society. Also a mechanism for the participation of public in the formation of the strategy should be put in place.

THE BENEFITS OF ZERO WASTE ObvioushealthandenvironmentalbenefitsaccompanyZeroWaste’sclean production or “zero toxicity” and environmental protection or “zero discharge” objectives. In addition to conserving natural resources, thebenefitsof ZeroWasteinclude:

• Development of local economies: By tapping on valuableresources in the waste stream, Zero Waste stimulates the economy through its creation of more employment opportunities. In fact, when compared to waste incineration, Zero Waste creates on average

5Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin, impairing motor, sensory and cognitive functions

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twentytothirtyfivepercentmorejobs.Moreover,thelaborrequiredfor ZeroWaste implementation can be satisfied by local marketsas opposed to the high-skill requirements of technologies such as incineration.

Local economies are also revived with Zero Waste due to its reliance on community based solutions rather than capital-intensive infrastructure. Accordingly, remote rural areas can better manage their wasted resources aswellasflourisheconomicallyintheabsenceof thetraditionalcentralizeddisposal-based solutions. Zero Waste also strengthens the local economy since it favors local manufacturing of environmentally safe products without breaking international trade treaties, most notably that of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is because a Zero Waste strategy would ensure that products that cause environmental damage are subject to bans orhighertaxationuponimport.Therefore,localproducts,thataresubjecttoclean production regulations, could better compete with these imports. For example,if LebanonestablishesataxonPVCtoreflectsitsenvironmentalimpact, the Lebanese industry, which will reduce the use of PVC in its products to reduce tax cost in the Lebanese market, will have an advantage toimportedproducts,suchasfromChina,thatwillnotadjustcontentof theirproductjustfortheLebanesemarket.

• Reducesglobalgreenhousegasemissions:Knowingthatclimatechange is the worst environmental threat facing humanity, there is a great need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions urgently in all possibleways.Materialflowanduse inhumansocietyaccount toabout35%of allgreenhousegasemissions.ZeroWasteisfocusedaround conserving resources and recycling processes. This saves huge amounts of energy in the extraction, transportation and processing of raw material.• Reductionof imports:Asadirectconsequenceof thehigherratesof material reuse and recovery associated with Zero Waste, local needs for imported materials diminish. Many industries prefer to rely on cheaper raw material than to import more expensive goods, when of the same caliber. • Reduced long-term costs: Long-term waste disposal costs aregreatly reduced by Zero Waste since additional costs such as remediation for contaminated sites will be avoided.• Economic development and eco-tourism:AZeroWaste policywill help protect and promote a country’s image as a green tourist destination without hidden health hazards associated with dioxin and groundwater contamination.

ZERO WASTE AROUND THE GLOBE Although Zero Waste is a new concept, decision makers are more andmorerealizingits importance.EvenattheUnitedNationslevelZeroWasteisbecomingmoreandmorefamiliar.Duringthe18thsessionof theUNCommission on SustainableDevelopment (CSD 18) convened from3-14May2010,atUNHeadquartersinNewYork,manycountrydelegatesstressed the importance of Zero Waste as the best way for dealing with the waste problem and sustainable consumption. Communities that have already passed Zero Waste legislation, plans orresolutionsincludeBuenosAires(thecapitalof Argentina),Scotland,andthe Australian city of Canberra, as well as the county of Western Australia. IntheUSA,ZeroWastetargetshavebeenadoptedbyDelNorteCounty,the city of Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Cruz County, San Luis ObispoCounty, and Boulder City, Colorado. Toronto adopted ‘Zero Waste by 2010’ inJanuary2007.

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ZeroWastecampaignsbyNGOs,experts,andgovernmentofficialsare also operating in South Australia, England, Italy, Ireland, India, thePhilippines, among many others. MajorinternationalbusinessesaimingforZeroWasteincludeToyota,Apple,BellCanada,KimberleyClark,Hewlett-Packard,HondaMotorCorpand Xerox Corp.

SITUATION IN THE REGION Comprising 22 independent states6 with an approximate population of 325million people, theArabRegion is highly dependent on its non-renewable resources; a fact which subjects its fragile environment totremendous strain exacerbated by the recent economic liberalization efforts and globalization. Generally, across the region, the waste resource sector is inadequately structured and regulated. Most Arab states have not yet established proper waste legislation and long-term strategies. Waste management in the region isalsocharacterizedby:

• Shortageininfrastructureforcomprehensivewasteandresourcemanagement;• Unsustainableconsumptionpatterns;• Riskstopublichealthandthreatstoenvironmentalresources;• Vastexpansioninurbandevelopment• Riskstopublichealthandthreatstoenvironmentalresources;• Centralizationof authorityatthenationallevel;• Serviceinequalitiesbetweenruralandurbanregions;• Lackof reliabledatabases;• Deficitintrainedpersonnel;• Lackof publicawareness;• Narrowvenuesforpublicparticipationindecisionmaking;and• Absence of financial incentives and effective cost recoverymechanisms.

With regards to industrial development, the current trends in the Arab Regionfallwithintwodistinctcategories:thatof theoil-richstatessuchastheGulf CooperationCouncil(GCC)counties,andthatof thelessaffluentArab nations that rely heavily on the service and agricultural sectors as a backboneof theireconomy.Accordingly, this trend is reflected inwaste/material management in the Arab World.

1. The relatively modern industries in the GCC countries depend primarily on oil and gas reserves for their economic growth. With 22 percent of the global oil production coming from the region, the economies of these countries are primarily driven by the petroleum sector. This may partly explain why they are among the highest energy users in the world. Other popular industrial activities include the manufacturing of petrochemicals, fertilizers, aluminum, iron and steel,andcement,withsomediversificationintotheengineeringandconstruction industries. The large scale of the industries of GCC countries leads to severe environmental problems, with major concern such as persistentorganic pollutants, CO2 7emissions, toxic industrial discharges, as well as, vast quantities of construction and demolition debris. In fact,theestimatedpercapitagenerationof hazardouswasteis2-8timesgreaterthanthatof theUnitedStates–intherangeof 16-28kg/year. 2.CountrieswithlessaffluenteconomiessuchasJordan,Lebanon,Syria, West Bank/Gaza and Yemen, employ labor-intensive and

3.1

3.0Waste Resources in the Arab World

6 Based on the Arab League, the Arab States include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/league.htm. Other sources consider Iran and Malta as Arab States.

7The region is also a large contributor (in per capita terms) to global emissions of carbon dioxide.

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3.2

small to medium scale industries that are typically characterized by an absence of effective monitoring and compliance with national or international standards. Common industries include that of mining, textiles,metalfinishingandfoodprocessing.

Due to their inadequate infrastructure and serious debt problems, these countries can seldom allocate sufficient funds for industrial modernizationand for pollution enforcement and control. The situation is aggravated by the substantial government subsidies on natural resources (water, energy and raw materials), as well as the public nature of the polluting enterprises. A brief review of the waste resource practices implemented in some ArabcitiesispresentedinTable1.Itcanbenotedthatlandfillingisthepracticepreferred by themajority of Arab countries.Nevertheless, some countries,especially the wealthier Arab states, are tending to incinerate a portion of their waste stream.

Table1.WastePracticesinSelectArabCities(Asfari,2002;Asfarietal.,2002)

CITY LANDFILLING INCINERATION COMPOSTING RECYCLING

Aden,Yemen Y N N PAleppo,Syria Y N N PAmman,Jordan Y P N P Bahrain,Bahrain Y P N P Cairo,Egypt Y P P P Kuwait,Kuwait Y P P P Riyadh,KSA Y P P P Tunis,Tunisia Y N P P Y:PracticedN:NotPracticedP:PartiallyPracticed

MATERIAL MANAGEMENT IN INDUSTRIALIZED ARAB NATIONS

3.2.1 Waste Management in Industrialized Arab Nations The recent substantial population growth in the GCC countries has lead to vast urbanization and increased demand for urban services, including waste and resource management. The region is also characterized by high incomes andconsumptionpatterns,inadditionfluctuationsintheexpatriatepopulation,resulting in changes to the quantity and quality of generated urban waste (Alhoumoud et al., 2004). The composition of waste in the GCC countries hasbecomesimilartothatof industrializedWesterncountries.IntheUAEthepercentage of plastic in the domestic waste stream has risen up to 20%, while organicwastepercentagewentdowntoaround20%(comparedto70%inthenon-industrialized Arab countries). This has complicated the waste treatment process and increased its cost. Due to their economic boom over the last twenty years, waste generation in the high-income Arab countries is increasing at an alarming rate as well. The domestic per capita waste generation rate is above 1 kg/day, withUAEhavingthehighestrate in theWorld(4kg/day),andthetrend isfor it to continue to increase. This is costing dearly in both monetary terms and environmental costs. Nearly all of the GCC countries dispose of their wasteresourcesinlandfills,whicharemorelikedumpsthanmodernlandfills.Although municipalities have tried composting, a large number of plants were not operated successfully (Alhoumoud et al, 2004). Puttingwasteintolandfillsisabsurdandimpractical,botheconomicallyand environmentally. Although these countries have a lot of space to dump garbage, their landfills arefillingup rapidly and there is evidence that their

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waste isbecomingmorehazardous.UAEispredictedtorunoutof landfillspaceinjust10years.While it isgenerallyexpectedthatnoleachatewillbegeneratedinaridclimatelandfills,considerablequantitieshavebeenformedatthese sites, primarily due to the improper disposal of liquid and sludge wastes (Al-Yaqout2003).Landfillsthatleaktoxicliquidsintosurroundingwaterhavebeenlinkedtoincreasedcancerrates(Grifith,1989). Although waste recycling has increased, it remains limited in these countries.TheUAEhasonly1.4%recyclingrate,butisaimingtoreach20%in the coming 3 to 4 years. The only comprehensive form of recycling in the GCC has been in the case of paper, cartons, metal and cans. Material recovery should be further promoted in the region, especially in view of its potential applications in the fast-growing construction sector. However, examples of successful recovery attempts include the thriving industry of metal recovery plants from waste generated by metal smelters. Also, in Saudi Arabia, theIslamic Relief Fund successfully promoted recycling schemes for aluminum cans, which are exported to Bahrain. In other Gulf countries, used car batteries are exported to India and Indonesia and used engine oil is collected and recycled. Nevertheless, the main problem that has not been realized or addressed yet in industrialized Arab states is the consumption pattern, and the contribution to the stress on global natural resources.

3.2.2 Zero Waste Application in Industrialized Arab Nations With the goal of diversifying their economy by creating an industrialized business boom, material management is the least concern of the wealthier Arab Nations. Although these countries communicate the value of environmental sustainability, life-cycle analysis of products is non-existent. Consumption, being viewed as a healthy business indicator, is encouraged to increaseinanon-sustainablemanner.SomeGCCcountriesdonothavetaxeson products, nor charge consumers or producers for their waste management. There is no attempt by these countries to control the quantity or quality of the waste produced. On the contrary, they have focused their waste treatment strategy on end-of-pipe and capital intensive technologies that lead to further environmental damage and resource depletion. With the more complex waste stream composition and a high-consumer society,itwillbemoredifficulttoimplementZeroWasteinthesestates.Therecent attempts of the GCC countries towards sustainability still lacks enough drive to make the required shift from end-of-pipe controls a Zero Waste Strategy.Thereby lies the challenge of these countries - to transform theirindustrial and consumption patterns to become less toxic and less resource intensive.

MATERIAL MANAGEMENT IN NON-INDUSTRIALIZED ARAB NATIONS

3.3.1 Waste Management in Non-Industrialized Arab Nations In the less affluent countries, such as those in the Maghreb andLevantine sub-regions8,over50percentof theregion’s160millioninhabitantsabide inurbanareas thathavedifficultymeeting thebasic serviceneedsof their population. The situation is amplified by a serious lack in resources,both human and financial, dedicated to waste and material management.Enforcementandcontrolagencies, incontrasttothemoreaffluentnations,do not have the manpower and know-how to regulate and monitor polluting industries. Although non-industrialized Arab countries have little resources available for waste management, the quantity and quality of generated waste make it easier for these countries to implement Zero Waste principles than for

3.3

8Countries included are Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, West Bank/Gaza, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

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Industrialized Arab Nations. Due to lower incomes and lifestyles, organic waste comprisesbyfarthehighestproportionof thewastestream,rangingfrom55-70percent of household waste by weight. The per capita domestic waste generation rates in all non-industrialized Arab countries are less than 1 kg/day. Nevertheless, a World Bank study concluded that a 44 percent increase in the generated of wasteresourceswasexpectedby2010whencomparedtothe1998valuesinthesecountries (METAP, 2003). The most common methods of treating or processing wastes in the service-based non-industrialized Arab countries are composting and recycling. However, their experience in composting has been generally negative due to the absence of mandatory source segregation. This leads to higher operation costs, reduced productqualityaswellasdiminishedprofits.Recyclingismostlyundertakenbytheinformal sector, such as the famous ‘zabaleen’ of Egypt. In Lebanon, for example, the informal sector played a tremendous role in the collection of metals from the construction and demolition debris generated by the Israeli bombardment in the July06 War. Innovators such as Tunisia and Algeria developed a recycling system that forces packaging producers and importers to contribute to a recycling fund – an effort in line with the Zero Waste concept and Extended Producer Responsibility. Wasteresourcesinthelessaffluentcountriesaredisposedof eitherdirectlyinto the environment or into land disposal facilities that are either uncontrolled or semi-controlled9. Open dumping and burning are common practices in rural areas and even when disposal facilities are available. As a consequence, severe health and environmental implications abound. The region’s dumps generate high levels of methanegasduetothesignificantportionof organicwasteinthewastestream.The non-segregation of hazardous wastes such as batteries and cathode ray tubes, contaminate the region’s groundwater aquifers with toxic heavy metals. Open burningandoutdatedincinerators,evenwhenfittedwithpollutioncontroldevices,still release greenhouse gases, heavy metals, particulates, cancer causing dioxins and hazardous ash. Incineration of solid waste has been undertaken in some countries, but has been found to be expensive and strongly opposed by the public.

3.3.2 Zero Waste Application in Non-Industrialized Arab Nations With basic consumption patterns, non-industrialized Arab countries generate less hazardous waste that is, in both quantity and nature, than that of the more affluentnations.Therefore,theirchallengeliesnotinmodifyingthecompositionof the waste stream, but in maintaining the current composition and preventing the trend followed by other countries of increased consumption. Byputtingtherightincentiveswithintheirframeworks,wastecanberedefinedasaresourcenottobeburiedorburnedbuttoberecovered.Suchincentivescouldbe lowering tariffs for cleaner waste-management technologies, such as composting and resource recovery facilities, that generate jobs andprovide rawmaterial foragriculture and local industry.Some waste management projects based on composting and material recoveryin small rural communities have been able to recycle up to 95% of the wastegenerated. Another advantage of Zero Waste application in poor countries is the fact that ZeroWaste is the cheapest solution, generates themost jobs, and doesn’trequire huge capital. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the most crucial issue inlessaffluentArabstatesisthelackof lawof enforcement.KnowingthatZeroWasteisbasedonpolicyregulationstocontrolmaterialflow,specialeffortshouldbe put into legislation development and enforcement. Section2.4,onImplementingaZeroWasteStrategy,describedthegeneralmeasures and tools to apply the Zero Waste concept, such as setting zero waste targets, applying EPR, providing incentives, developing the resource recovery industry, banning incineration and phasing out landfilling, as well as providingvenuesforpublicparticipation.However,additionalmeasuresspecifictotheArabworldinclude:

9 Few disposal sites in the region meet ac-cepted international standards.

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FORMING A ZERO WASTE BODY Most Arab states rely on their central environmental authorities to manage their waste resources. However, these entities are generally under-staffed, under-funded, and ill-equipped to carry the duties associated with developing and administering a Zero Waste strategy. Therefore, a designated body, i.e. a Zero Waste committee, council, or agency, needs to be dedicated to oversee the adoption and implementation of such a strategy. Thisoverseeingbodywouldberesponsiblefor:

• establishingzerowastetargetsbasedonthecountry’sexistingwasteresource situation and limitations, • applyingEPRprinciplesandincentives,• providingfiscalandadministrativeincentivestodeveloptheresourcerecovery industry and eventually phase out disposal,• consultingthepublicandlaunchingawarenesscampaigns,• monitoringandre-evaluatingthesuccessof theirefforts,and• updatingthezerowastestrategyperiodically.

LEGISLATION The establishment and role of the Zero Waste committee should be supported through the countrie’s national legislative frameworks. Legislation is the invisible link that integrates all stakeholders within a Zero Waste framework and motivates effective results. By including the Zero Waste principles in legislation and calling for a Zero Waste body, legislation can allow for the realizationof thefollowing:

• Establishmentof aZeroWasteauthority,• Developmentof aZeroWastestrategy,thatisperiodicallyevaluatedand updated by the authority,• Fiscalandnon-fiscalincentives,• Monitoringandreportingontheimplementationof ZeroWaste,• NationalandlocalZeroWasteawarenessprograms,• Research&developmentgrants.

FUNDING Sincethelong-termsavingsandeconomicbenefitsfromaZeroWastestrategy eventually outweigh the investment by far, it is essential to secure continuous funds to ensure success. It is important to note that a Zero Waste strategy costs less than incineration, but the difference is that incineration will require an initial large capital cost, while Zero Waste will require a continuous flowof fundsforimplementingthestrategy.Dependingonthecountry,fundsmay pose a crucial bottleneck to adopting and applying the strategy. In the case of themoreaffluentArabnations,fundsarenotahindrance.Howeverinthelessaffluentcountries,fundingcanbethesinglemostcontributingfactortothefailure of Zero Waste. In addition to the traditional funding mechanisms of governments, the Zero Waste authority can be funded through several self-sustaining measures whichcanbeincludedwithinitsplan.Suchmeasuresmayincludeapackaginglevy,alandfillinglevy,excisetaxesoncertainimportedmaterialstobeusedforpackaging, as well as some of the incentives mentioned in prior sections of this report. Al-YaqoutA.AssessmentandAnalysisof IndustrialLiquidWasteandSludge

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.0Achieving Zero Waste in the Arab World

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5.0 ReferencesDisposalatUnlinedLandfillSitesinAridClimate.WasteManagement23.2003pg:817–824

Al-Yousfi,A.,RegionalPerspectivesof HazardousWasteManagementinDevelopingCountries,Proceedingsof OmanInternationalConferenceonWasteManagement,UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP),RegionalOfficeforWestAsia(ROWA),2002

Al-Yousfi,A.,Environmentally SoundTechnologies (EST) forDesigning andOperating SolidWastesLandfills, Proceedings of InternationalConferenceonWastesManagementandPestsControl,MuscatMunicipality-Oman,UNEP/ROWA,2003

Alhoumoud J., Al-Ghusain L., and Al-Hasawi H. Management of Recycling in the Gulf Co-operation Council States. WasteManagement24,2004pg:551–562

Asfari,A.,MunicipalSolidWasteManagementintheArabWorldwithParticularReferencetoGCCCountries,Proceedingsof OmanInternational Conference on Wastes Management, 2002

Asfari,A.,andMashaa’n,M.,Developmentof SolidWasteManagementinSomeArabCountries(ArabicLanguage),KuwaitSocietyfor Environmental Protection, 2002

EnvisionNewZealand,GettingThere!TheRoadtoZeroWaste:StrategiesforSustainableCommunitie.PreparedforZeroWasteNew Zealand Trust, August 2003

EnvisionNewZealand,TheRoadtoZeroWaste–StrategiesforSustainableCommunities,ZeroWasteNewZealandTrust,August2003.

EPR Working Group, Extended Producer Responsibility A Prescription for Clean Production, Pollution Prevention and Zero Waste. July 2003 www.GRRN.org/epr/epr_principles.html

GriffithJ.,CancerMortalityinU.S.CcountieswithHazardousWasteSitesandGroundWaterPollution.EnvironmentalHealthJournal,Vol.44,No.2.March1989,pgs.69-74

Gulf ResearchCenter(GRC),TheEnergyandResearchInstitute(TERI),GreenGulf Report–ExecutiveSummary,Dubai,UAE,February 2006.

Kanbour,F.,GeneralStatusonUrbanWasteManagementinWestAsia,RegionalWorkshop.UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP),RegionalOfficeforWestAsia(ROWA).1997

Lagakos,S.W.,etal,Ananalysisof contaminatedwellwaterandhealtheffectsinWoburn,Massachusetts.Journalof theAmericanStatisticalAssociationVol.81,No.395.1986,pgs:583-596

Mashaa’n,M.,Ahmed,F.,EnvironmentalStrategiesforSolidWasteManagement-FutureOutlookof Kuwaituntil2000andOtherStatesExperiences,1stEdition,1997

METAP,RegionalSolidWasteManagementProjectinMashreqandMaghrebCountries,InceptionReport–Final,TheWorldBank.June, 2003.

MurrayR.,ZeroWaste.GreenpeaceEnvironmentalTrust,CanonburyVillas,LondonN12PN,UnitedKingdom,Feb2002.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Guidance Manual for Governments Extended Producer Responsibility.2001http://www1.oecd.org/publications/e-book/9701041E.pdf

PaulConnetandBillSheehan,Citizen’sAgendaforZeroWaste–AUnitedStates/CanadianPerspective,October2001,Accessedon:April18,2007http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/community/activist/citizens_agenda_4_zw.html

Stateof NewYorkDepartmentof Health,Investigationof CancerIncidenceandResidenceNear38LandfillswithSoil,GasMigrationConditions,NewYorkState,1989.

TheWorldBankGroup.MiddleEastandNorthAfricaRegionWebsite.AccessedonApril12,2007athttp://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/envext.nsf/PrintFriendly/56836C046951872F85256D21006BC61D?Opendocument

Thorpe,B.,Kruszewska,I.,andMcPhersonA.,ExtendedProducerResponsibility:Awastemanagementstrategythatcutswaste,creates a cleaner environment and saves taxpayers money. Clean Production Action. 2004.

UNEP,GlobalEnvironmentalOutlook,GEO2000,ChapterThree–PolicyResponses,WestAsia.2000.

WorldHealthOrganization(WHO),SolidWasteManagementinSomeCountries-EnvironmentalDimensionsof WasteDisposal,1995

Zero Waste New Zealand Trust (ZWNZT). The End of Zero Waste. Zero Waste by 2020. May 2001.

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