How Advanced Waste Collection is a Game Changer For Progressing the UAE's Sustainability Agenda The most profound change lies in shifting the community's mindset around waste.
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Waste collection has long been seen as a background service; removing what society no longer values. Globally, we generate between 2.1 and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste per year. This could grow to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.
Knowing that waste contributes to 3-5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is clear change must happen quickly. And in a world facing rapid population growth and escalating climate pressures, how we collect and manage waste is emerging as one of the most powerful levers for sustainability and even a potential solution for climate change challenges.
Waste is a vital source, and the beginning of value creation. Our perception of this material must change to no longer be viewed as the end of the journey, but the start of an exciting new chapter in this cycle.
Only 7% of the 106 billion tonnes of materials used annually worldwide come from recycled sources. There is an abundance of untapped potential when diverting waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), municipal solid waste across countries exceeded 770 million tonnes in 2023 -about 552 kg per person - and yet landfilling remains the primary disposal method, accounting for around 40% in many countries.
When intelligent routing systems, real-time data, predictive fleet analytics, and rigorous safety standards work in harmony, collection becomes strategy. These innovations optimise efficiency, drive diversion from landfill, enhance material recovery, and redefine what service excellence looks like.
What was once seen as a cost centre is now an engine of environmental and economic value. This is the model Tajmee'e was built to deliver.
In the UAE, collection is the entry point into bigger opportunities, including material recovery facilities, waste-to-energy systems, and a circular economy framework. This shift supports national ambitions such as the UAE Net Zero by 2050 initiative, and the Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031.
When disposed of appropriately, waste is an alternative resource which can be converted to hydrogen, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), electricity, and more, contributing to the UAE's increasing rise in energy demands.
In the words of H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Chief of ADNOC, during his opening speech at ADIPEC, the demand for energy, including new grids and data centres, will require up to $4 trillion in investment annually. Waste can be part of this solution.
Further, taking collection to the next level for the UAE and the economy requires aligning operational transformation coupled with the vision of the national strategy. Embedding advanced collection models boosts the green economy, upskills local talents, and reinforces national leadership in sustainable resource management.
The most profound change lies in shifting the community's mindset around waste. The global economy is only about 7.2% circular today despite the fact that 90% of the materials entering our systems are raw, valuable materials.
By influencing behavioural change among the public to recycle, and embedding technology during collection through sensor-enabled bins, digital tracking, and route optimisation, materials becoming traceable, streams become clean and contamination drops. This gives way for a more streamlined and successful circular economy, when waste is appropriately recovered and reintroduced into the community.
In this light, Tajmee'e marks a decisive turning point in terms of how we define progress. It signals our evolution from a standard collector to a national champion of unlocking the value of waste. The journey begins at collection, yet its impact reverberates across the entire sustainability chain.
We are building the backbone for smarter, safer, and greener cities - proving that waste isn't an endpoint, but a resource waiting to be reimagined. We are engineering a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.
