The Ministry of Municipality has intensified its efforts to spread public awareness on the “Zero Waste” campaign and enhance public engagement in waste sorting and recycling practices as part of the efforts to reduce waste and promote a culture of circular economy.
However, a number of experts and activists in the field noted that the concerned entities should introduce some financial and regulatory incentives to further encourage households, businesses and industries to reduce waste and increase recycling.
They suggested that such incentives could include grants for companies achieving high waste-reduction rates, simplified administrative procedures and preferential access to government programmes for businesses meeting zero-waste standards.
They further recommended introducing a “Zero Waste Facility” certification to recognise institutions that demonstrate measurable progress in waste reduction, source segregation and recycling.
Environmental expert Dr Yousef al-Kazem said that the initiative, launched by the ministry in 2022, helped promote environmental awareness and that it should evolve into a comprehensive institutional and community effort.
He proposed expanding environmental competitions beyond schools to include categories such as “Best School”, “Best Home”, “Best Hotel”, “Best Restaurant”, “Best Factory” and “Best Company”.
Such recognition, Dr al-Kazem said, could encourage positive competition and make sustainable practices part of everyday life.
He stressed that zero waste should not be understood as the complete elimination of waste, but as reducing it to the lowest feasible level while maximising reuse, recycling and resource recovery.
Hotels and restaurants could reduce food waste and separate organic refuse, Dr al-Kazem elaborated, while factories and offices could limit the use of paper, plastic and disposable products.
Dr Mohamed Saif al-Kuwari highlighted the importance of involving children and young people in building a lasting culture of sustainability.
The environmental expert said that waste reduction and environmental protection should become daily habits rather than temporary awareness activities.
Hamad Abdullah al-Attiyah, chairman of a wood recycling factory, said that wood recycling could make a significant contribution to the circular economy by diverting timber from landfills and converting it into useful products.
He pointed to earlier Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) data indicating that construction waste accounted for around 80% of Qatar’s solid waste, underscoring the potential for recovering materials from the construction sector.
Discarded wood, al-Attiyah said, could be processed into sawdust, wood chips, compressed briquettes and other products
Recycling, he added, reduces demand for virgin materials, lowers disposal costs and can create employment across collection, sorting, processing, manufacturing and distribution.
Rashid Hamad al-Suwaidi, owner of a paper recycling factory, called for closer co-operation between the private sector, government institutions and the wider community.
He said that recycling businesses face challenges including the availability of suitable land and the high cost of electricity, water and gas.
Amer Abdelhamid Mustafa, executive director of a wood-recycling factory, provided a practical example of the sector’s capacity.
He said that his facility processes approximately 600 tonnes of used wood monthly, producing items including compressed wood blocks, hexagonal charcoal and sawdust for use in farms, restaurants and other markets.
The plant’s output, Mustafa added, reaches about 450 tonnes of finished products per month.
Meanwhile, Dr Abdullah al-Khater said that recycling could reduce the country's reliance on imported raw materials such as aluminum and iron.
Reusing domestic resources, the economic expert argued, could lower costs, strengthen supply security and retain more money within the national economy.
Meanwhile, Qatar continues to develop its waste-management and circular-economy infrastructure.
In 2023, the Ministry of Municipality reported that around 54% of household, commercial and industrial waste was being recycled or converted into energy or fertiliser.
During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, authorities reported achieving 100% sorting and recycling of waste collected from stadiums and fan zones.
