The Ministry of Municipality has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving zero waste, marking the International Day of Zero Waste yesterday (March 30) by scaling up source segregation, expanding recycling efforts, and promoting a circular economy nationwide.
The ministry pointed out that the source segregation programme works towards a better future for the country, adding that waste sorting should start at the household level, making it a daily practice.
It explained that the programme entails issues as simple as sorting waste into plastic, paper, metal, general waste and organic waste in dedicated containers.
The ministry launched several awareness campaigns to promote such practices among the public, in addition to supporting recycling initiatives, providing dedicated waste-sorting bins across key areas and locations, and improving waste management strategies.
The source segregation programme was first launched in 2019 as a pilot project, and was subsequently expanded across the country in several phases.
The programme uses a simple two-bin system distributed to households, with blue bins for recyclable materials such as plastic, paper, glass, and metal, and grey bins for organic and general waste, such as food waste, cleaning materials, and other items.
These are collected later and sent to recycling facilities, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
The programme has been very effective in Doha, achieving a success rate of more than 85% due to the strong public response, with more than 2,000 tonnes of recyclable waste collected through this system.
The programme was particularly popular and gained international praise during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Earlier this year, the waste sorting at source programme was expanded to municipalities such as Umm Salal, Al Daayen, Al Khor, and Al Shamal, which contributed to the programme’s success in terms of the quality and quantities of recyclable waste collected.