Electronics recycling plant to come up in Dubai

Enviroserve UAE has signed an agreement with Dubai Wholesale City for the construction of a 228,000 sq ft electronics and specialised waste recycling plant at Dubai Industrial Park.

Backed by the Swiss Government Export Finance Agency, the AED120 million project represents one of the largest foreign direct investments in the field of environmental management in the UAE, a statement said.

It added that the facility will serve as the region’s largest centre of expertise for electronic waste management in the Middle East.

The plant will recycle the entire range of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment ranging from consumer and industrial to commercial and military appliances, such as air conditioners, batteries, IT equipment, household appliances, military avionics and mobile phones.

In addition, it will recycle specialised waste material, such as aerosol cans and lightbulbs, to become the only dedicated refrigerant reclaim facility in the UAE.

Expected to start operations by end-2017, phase 1 of the plant will comprise state-of-the-art equipment to process 39,000 tons of electronic waste annually.

The signatories included Abdulla Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Wholesale City, and Stuart Fleming, Group CEO of Enviroserve UAE.

Belhoul said: “With a growing number of business partners setting up operations in our integrated mega hub, this innovative recycling facility will add significant value to advancing sustainable and organic development in our community.”

He added: “Our partnership with Enviroserve UAE demonstrates how our world-class infrastructure and allied services help our clients seamlessly adapt to new market conditions and opportunities. We are confident the project will spearhead the development of a sustainable electronic waste management market in the region.”

Fleming added “Our new integrated recycling plant will be a true game-changer in electronic and specialised waste recycling for Dubai and the wider Middle East region.”

Enviroserve’s decision to set up the recycling facility at Dubai Wholesale City comes at a time when a UN-sponsored research project has indicated that the average UAE resident produces 17.2 kilograms of e-waste each year.

Amounting to nearly 600,000 tons in 2015, e-waste generation in the GCC region is expected to reach 900,000 tons in 2020.