Recycling laws catch up with our rubbish habits

Having two chutes instead of one could make recycling much easier for residents who could segregate their waste at home, according to a manufacturer anxious for recycling laws to be passed in the UAE. "Segregating waste at home and being able to just put it down the chute in your building would make it very easy for everyone to sort their plastics and paper from the food waste," said Satih Jyoti, managing director, Hi Tech Equipments in Sharjah. Rubbish chutes were incorporated into residential buildings about 20 years ago. However the current basic shafts carry all types of waste together to a large rubbish container, often in the basement or a ‘rubbish room'. The rubbish can then be sorted at waste management plants. The problem lies in contaminated waste, said Jyoti. Getting liquids, juices, sauces or any food waste onto paper or cardboard reduces its value on the recyclables market. The cleaner the items, the better and easier they are to recycle. Article continues below "Soiled materials are harder to sell to recyclers because they have to be cleaned, which costs more," he said. Having up to three chutes in a new building would cost approximately Dh11,000 per floor, said Jyoti. Another cheaper solution is to add a ‘diverter' to a single chute that directs waste in the basement to several trash bins, at a cost of Dh9000 per floor. Before throwing the rubbish down the chute, residents can choose what type of waste they are about to dump via easy to use buttons for paper, food or plastics for example. The diverter would position the chute above the correct trash bin and seal the chute on all other floors magnetically while it is in use. Hi Tech Equipments has already built a three-floor multiple chute system in the Pullman Hotel, Mall of the Emirates but up to five chutes can be incorporated into a building, said Jyoti. Until multiple chutes are made mandatory in residential and commercial towers, Dubai Municipality has announced that by September 4, industrial facilities, shopping centres and commercial towers must provide several bins to segregate recyclables from general waste. Plastic, metal cans, glass, paper and wood have to be separated from other waste. Non-compliance will result in fines.