Ban on exporting waste supports SMEs

MUSCAT: The blanket ban on exporting recyclable waste materials, fully implemented earlier this year, has supported local SMEs, according to the Environment Authority (EA).
As a result of the ban on the export of waste, which first took effect in 2020, the number of recycling facilities in Oman has jumped from 27 to 85, supporting SMEs in a big way while accentuating the national goals of sustainability, said Dr Mohammed bin Saif al Kalbani, Director-General of Environmental Compliance at the Environment Authority.
“Since 2020, after we issued this regulation prohibiting the export of any kind of waste material from the country, there has been a surge in recycling facilities in the country, mostly SMEs. We now have nearly 85 recycling facilities across the country, up from just over 27 facilities earlier for recycling plastic waste, which amounts to around 600,000 tonnes annually. We started with steel scrap in 2020 and expanded to include items like batteries, cooking oil and tires. We have prohibited all kinds of waste export since then, and by restricting the outflow of these secondary raw materials, we aim to enhance the efficiency of resource use and promote a more robust circular economy within the country,” he said.
On the sidelines of the third edition of the Aluminium Recycling Forum organised by Sohar Aluminium in collaboration with the Environment Authority, Al Kalbani said a comprehensive national legal framework for waste recycling is currently underway. “We have issued several regulations in terms of handling waste management in the country as we focus on different kinds of waste. Recently, we finished the draft of the Waste Management Law and are in the process of the final review before we send it for cabinet approval and it becomes a law.” He added that in line with this, EA is working on the Oman National Strategy on Waste Management in the Sultanate of Oman, the outcome of which will bring more initiatives and projects on waste management.