The new initiative aims to encourage the community to start recycling in an effort to help the country’s sustainability goals. 

To mark Global Recycling Day, Qatar Foundation (QF) has announced its plans to build Qatar’s first-ever recycling hub to encourage sustainability within the community.

Covering more than 8,000sqm in Education City, Green Island will feature six recycling streams, including paper, plastic, aluminum cans, e-waste, batteries, and organic waste.

The hub, built in partnership with Seashore Group, will be partially powered by solar panels as a renewable energy power option and will be easily accessible by public transport, including the EC Tram.

“It is no secret that there is a gaping hole when it comes to recycling in Qatar,” said Nawal al-Sulaiti, sustainability manager, QF.

“And the desperate need to fill that gap and do more to empower the community, particularly the younger generation, and arm them with the tools needed become environmentally conscious citizens, is what led to the birth of Green Island.”

The first of its kind project in Doha is expected to open its doors for the public by October, if not sooner, QF has announced.

Visitors will get to witness 95 end-of-life shipping containers turned into exhibitions, restaurants, and coffee shops as part of a huge recyclable initiative. All containers are donated by Milaha, one of the largest maritime and logistics companies in the Middle East.

There will be no fee attached to the container. However, all tenets will have to offer a value proposition to create a learning cycle. For example, those who are starting a vintage clothing upcycling business will in turn have to offer community workshops on how to upcycle.

This way, the hub will cultivate a sustainability mindset in Qatar and hopefully build a significant milestone towards change.

“We are laying the groundwork, but Qatar’s community is what will drive this initiative,” Al-Sulaiti said.

“We hope that green island will create a ripple effect that will mark the start of community recycling hubs in Qatar and that soon we will see others wanting to replicate it, with recycling hubs popping up in every neighbourhood, just like we have parks.”

The younger generation is the hub’s target, she stated, adding that they possess a great power to bring change.

“It is easier to get youth to take up new habits when compared to adults, and these youth can then get their families to follow. Their power to bring about change is huge and is the driving force we need to cultivate a sustainability mindset in Qatar.”

Education and awareness are the primary objectives of QF’s latest major project. In order to achieve the best sustainability vision, the hub will be built in an interactive way to ensure an active learning experience.

“Each container will have a large screen mounted on it which will allow community members to see the various steps that a certain type of waste goes through as it’s recycled,” said Ouassim M. Alami, strategic initiatives advisor, QF.

Qatar’s commitment to recycling showcased during FIFA Arab Cup™

Zero waste from tournament venues was sent to landfill during the FIFA Arab Cup™, while 70% was successfully recycled at Al Bayt Stadium.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), in collaboration with FIFA and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, ran a special project during the tournament in an effort to boost environmental sustainability in the lead-up to this year’s FIFA World Cup™. The project was supported by the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and local contractors.

Sustainable procurement practices, avoiding materials that produce waste, and using recyclable products in catering and logistics contributed to the effort. One project saw 900 reusable water bottles distributed to workforce and volunteers to curb the amount of plastic used during the tournament. In addition, waste segregation was implemented using various facilities, including recycling bins and a composting machine for organic waste, such as leftover food, biodegradable packaging and grass clippings. A baler was used to compress the plastic waste, while non-recyclable materials were sent to the Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre – a first-of-its-kind facility in the region – to be incinerated and converted into energy.

Eng. Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director at the SC, said: “We are proud of the waste management practices we implemented during the FIFA Arab Cup. Promoting recycling is a key strategic objective of the Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy – and we look forward to building on our efforts in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup, during the tournament and in legacy mode. We are compiling a list of lessons learned to ensure this type of project is delivered across tournament venues during the FIFA World Cup.”

Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s Head of Sustainability & Environment, said: “Each FIFA tournament provides us an opportunity to improve and to set higher goals. The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is no exception and the FIFA Arab Cup has given us the opportunity to test our operations and ensure all will be in place to achieve the waste management-related goals in the Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy.”

Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Al Sada, Assistant Undersecretary for General Services Affairs, Ministry of Municipality, said: “The State of Qatar has adopted a comprehensive plan to manage and recycle waste. The ministry implements various programmes, initiatives and events in order to deal with all types of waste. Furthermore, we encourage companies, corporations and individuals to minimise the use of waste-producing materials, and instead, use recycled materials.”