The Facilities Management (FM) at KAUST has partnered with Edama Organic Solutions to launch a residential organic waste composting program. The program aims to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, thus contributing to KAUST’s goal of achieving “Zero Waste to the landfill”. This program also promotes sustainable waste management practices, which align with SDG 12 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
According to the World Bank, global waste generation is expected to rise to 3.4 billion tons by 2050, which is a 70% increase from 2.01 billion tons in 2016. Saudi Arabia produces about 53 million tons of waste per year, and the average person generates over 1.4 kilograms of waste per day. This makes the rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in KSA 15.3 million tonnes per year.
KAUST’s organic waste composting program is an important step towards reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills by the KAUST community, and promoting sustainable waste management practices in Saudi Arabia. The program started with horticulture waste and organic waste from retailers, and is now expanding to the residential area.
“Facilities Management is taking significant steps to reduce waste production and maximize waste recycling opportunities at KAUST,” said Khalid J Saadi, Director of Central Services. “A large portion of our daily waste is organic. By composting this waste, we can avoid landfilling such an important resource. Additionally, using compost on our landscape will further help us manage our operations sustainably.”
In order for the program to be successful, the community must segregate food waste at home in accordance with the program requirements established by KAUST waste partners, Averda and Edama Organic Solutions. The program is registration-based, and the first 200 households to register will receive a free kitchen collector for segregating food waste. Upon registration, they will receive an information pack detailing how to effectively segregate food waste.
Join the Composting Program and contribute to KAUST’s drive for “Zero Waste to the landfill” by clicking here.
