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World’s Largest E-Waste Recycling
Plant to be Built in Dubai
It is set to recycle all sorts of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment.
The piles of electronic wastes across the world
have gone to all-time high records. What we
need is to have more e-waste recycling plants
so the discarded electronics do not end up in
landfills and rot until eternity.
United Arab Emirates found the need to build
one at the Dubai Industrial Park, after a UN-
sponsored research project stated that the
average UAE resident produces 17.2 kg of
e-waste annually.
The project will be put up thanks to the
partnership between Enviroserve UAE, which
is a global leader in the delivery of niche waste
and environmental solutions, and the Dubai
Wholesale City. It will be a 228,000 square-foot
plant that will recycle electronics and specialized
wastes.
Operations is expected to start by the end
of 2017, with phase one comprising high-
tech equipment to process 39,000 tonnes of
electronic waste annually.
Backed by the Swiss Government Export
Finance Agency, the project costs about
$33 million in total. It represents one of
the largest foreign direct investments
in the field of environmental
management in the UAE.
According to Abdulla
Belhoul, the chief
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Construction Leaders • May 2017
executive of Dubai Wholesale City, the facility
will serve as the region’s largest center of
expertise for electronic waste management in
the Middle East.
Also the world’s largest e-waste recycling
plant, it is set to recycle all sorts of end-of-life
electrical and electronic equipment, ranging
from consumer and industrial to commercial
and military appliances. That includes air-
conditioners, batteries, IT equipment, household
appliances, military avionics and mobile phones.
Not only that, the recycling plant will also
include in the process specialized waste
material like aerosol cans and light bulbs.
“At Dubai Industrial Park, we strongly support
environment-friendly solutions as part of our
strategic commitment to promoting sustainable
manufacturing and socially responsible
practices,” Belhoul noted.
That’s because the plant will be completely
solar-powered with photovoltaic panels installed
throughout the building.
Meanwhile, Stuart Fleming, Group CEO of
Enviroserve UAE, is happy to be part of such
a project. “Our new integrated recycling plant
will be a true game-changer in electronic and
specialised waste recycling for Dubai and the
wider Middle East region. Utilising best-in-class
technology, the iconic facility will elevate the
sustainability movement in the region,” he said.