OUTLOOK — By Ali Al Matani — Wastes pose a big environmental problem that continues to haunt the efforts exerted to conserve the environment and protect it against the forms of contamination caused by its disposal. Due to the big volumes of these wastes the disposal of wastes through traditional ways like incinerators in all the regions of the country, especially in Muscat and other places causes danger to health, safety and environment.
This necessitates searching for alternatives to recycle these wastes and disposing it in a better and safe way. There is no doubt that wastes recycling is an urgent national requirement. There is a need to support the efforts made by the government to conserve the environment and keep it as clean as possible. Wastes recycling will also fulfil the economic requirements through benefiting from the raw materials thrown with wastes daily in large quantities at the landfills.
Today, the population growth, the high standards of living in the country, the industrial and agricultural growth and the growth achieved by many other sectors result in huge quantities of wastes that are required to be recycled as is done in many countries that use modern techniques in the treatment of wastes.
Furthermore, wastes recycling could provide many needs for the country like animal feed and fertilisers. It could also reduce the dependency of importing raw materials needed for the local industries and replace them with some alternative products, not to mention the job opportunities that could be generated by this new industry.
The respective authorities like Muscat Municipality, regional municipalities and Dhofar municipalities should think about these projects in collaboration with the private sector to establish a company that works in the field of wastes recycling.
They should co-operate with foreign companies that work in this field to benefit from their experiences in managing this important aspect of protecting the earth.
This national project should have great priority compared with other projects as the importance of such project significantly transcends the economic aspect.
It could support the efforts of creating a clean environment that is free from contamination and benefit from the technology in wastes recycling.
Thus, the respective authorities should think again about such important projects in the country and focus on these extremely important aspects.
We hope that these kinds of projects may become realities as soon as possible for the manifold benefits for
the country and the environment.
