Ministry of Climate Change outlines executive regulations of Federal Law on integrated waste management

DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 04th Jul, 2021) The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has announced details of the executive regulations of the Federal Law No. 12 of 2018 on integrated waste management, which has been approved by the UAE Cabinet.

The document seeks to regulate waste management and standardise the mechanisms and methods for proper waste disposal, in line with best practices, with the aim of protecting the environment and reducing risks to human health.

The regulations outlines the requirements of Federal Law No. 12 of 2018, including the roles and responsibilities of concerned authorities, waste generators and suppliers, as well as the technical specifications applicable to landfills.

Under the regulations, the waste generator is responsible for the proper disposal of the waste it generates and shall bear the financial costs involved, whereas suppliers are obligated to collect products at the end of their life cycle from consumers and bear the financial costs of their proper disposal, in coordination with the competent authority.

Suppliers are also mandated to collect electronic waste and batteries from consumers, free of charge, by providing collection boxes at their retail outlets and recycling them, or properly disposing of them, in coordination with the competent authority.

To assist in the proper separation of municipal solid waste over the course of the coming decade, the authorities shall provide colour-coded containers throughout the UAE.

Green is for recyclable waste – paper, cardboard, metal, glass, plastic waste and other types of waste specified by the authority, while black is for non-recyclable general waste, brown is for food and organic waste and red is for hazardous waste.

Regarding wastewater, the regulations determine the requirements for establishing and operating sewage treatment plants, such as the implementation of a three-stage wastewater treatment process, as a minimum. They also set the maximum permissible level of pollutants in treated wastewater and sewage sludge. Existing facilities that use dual treatment technology must upgrade their processes within five years.

Moreover, the regulations outline the requirements for sound management of hazardous waste, including its segregation, treatment and reduction under the supervision of the concerned authority.

Furthermore, the regulations list the technical specifications for sanitary landfills and the types of waste that should be disposed of in them. They also stipulate the conditions for environmental control and management of existing and new landfills, as well as for the closure of landfills. They mandate concerned authorities to rehabilitate unsanitary landfills to meet the set specifications within eight years.

According to the regulations, administrative penalties will be imposed on violators, varying from license suspensions to permanent shutdowns of their facilities.