By Arvind Nair
A BRITISH company is bringing cutting-edge technology to Qatar to eradicate plastic pollution, a major headache for environmentalists worldwide.
Doha-based al-Haya Waste Management and Project Company has contracted the UK firm Symphony Environmental Ltd, which has perfected a technology called d2w.
It is designed to cause flexible plastics to degrade “completely and harmlessly in as little as 60 days or as long as five to six years, depending on the requirements”, said al-Haya managing director Ali Saeed al-Marri.
According to al-Marri, bags and other flexible plastic products made by adding a new chemical will be broken up and reduced to water, carbon dioxide and a tiny amount of bio-mass. The length of time required will depend on the amount of the additive used at the time of making the products. It is particularly effective for the disposal of post-consumer packaging, such as carrier bags, aprons, laundry bags, plastic sheeting and plastic films, he said.
Exposure to sunlight accelerates degradation but the process of oxo-biodegradation once initiated, continues even if the plastic is buried, he said.
Al-Haya has a five-year deal with Symphony, which specialises in degradable plastic packaging.
According to al-Marri, the company can supply all kinds of finished degradable plastic bags for any kind of use in Qatar. These will be supplied from a factory in Dubai, he added.
Existing plastic bag manufacturers in Qatar can convert their product to environment-friendly ones by mixing the Symphony additive.
This can be done without making any changes to their machinery, the official explained. The cost is a mere QR0.50 for converting 1kg of plastic, he added.
The company has already approached 10 major plastic bag manufacturers in Qatar to use the additive and reduce environmental pollution in the country. It has also requested the Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves to make it mandatory for companies to produce oxo-degradable plastics.
The SCENR is planning to organise a presentation on the product for environmentalists, bag manufacturers and other stakeholders later this month.
Al-Haya has also requested municipalities and major industries in Qatar to encourage the use of oxo-biodegradable plastic products to eliminate environmental hazards.
If the oxo-biodegradable bags are consumed by animals while still intact, the temperature and stress in the gut will accelerate the degradation process. If ingested when the product is already brittle, it will quickly break down into small particles. Any ingested oxo-biodegradable bags do not adversely affect the quality of milk or meat of the animal.
Conventional bags are much more likely to cause a block that could the kill the animal, al-Marri said.
The technology could be used for making all kinds of oxo-biodegradable products. These include shopping bags, garbage sacks, aprons, bin liners, gloves, laundry bags, sheeting, bread bags, frozen food bags, wrappers for cigarette packets, bottles and cups and bubble wraps.
Business development officer Mohamed Kabeer said the company has plans to set up plants to recycle plastics and lube oil, and another one for hazardous wastes management. The plastic recycling project is awaiting land approval, while for the hazardous waste management, the company has tied up with Ramky Group, which runs four major plants in India.
More details about the new technology and its environmental advantages could be had by calling Kabeer (4365151, 5514369). |
