The Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) has taken a pioneering step in protecting the environment with a decision to apply green building guidelines across all its structures.
It has also banned the use of harmful chemicals in its facilities and venues, using only environmentally-friendly alternatives for cleaning and maintenance.
This comes in the wake of its decision to recycle 40,000 kilos of paper – the equivalent of 680 trees.
Abdulaziz al-Mahmoud, director general of Aspire Logistics, a member-organisation of Aspire Zone Foundation, said that though AZF was primarily a sporting facility, “it doesn’t mean that we do not have a responsibility to contribute to other aspects of human and social development”.
He said AZF would play an “active and vital” role in various fields that related to promoting healthy lifestyles and the creation of safe, sustainable spaces for community and family members, “and protecting the environment is a crucial aspect of this role, not least because it is one of the main pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030”.
AZF is also investigating ways in which to take advantage of biodegradable waste. Ali al-Fahida, manager of the General Services Department at Aspire Logistics, said AZF’s 3Rs plan - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - aimed to reduce waste overall, as well as co-ordinating the safe disposal of it, and increase recycling.
“Aspire has been committed to recycling since 2008 as part of AZF’s holistic strategy to protect the environment and preserve our resources,” he said.
“We consistently strive to meet our visitors’ needs whilst ensuring that no harm comes to the environment.”
Al-Fahida pointed out that AZF had begun collecting paper waste, which forms the majority of waste at the foundation, to be sent to a company that handles recycling, rather than disposing of it in the usual method that involves burning.
“As of April 2013, AZF has successfully recycled and reused 40,000 kilos of paper, the equivalent of saving 680 trees. AZF also recycles fallen leaves, grass trimmings, and other forms of waste collected during our daily maintenance of Aspire Park,” he said.
Al- Fahida also highlighted AZF’s plan to help the waste-sorting operation by sending out a public tender to design and create containers that compartmentalise garbage.
Additionally, AZF plans to complement this initiative by launching a new programme aimed at encouraging students to correctly separate garbage. Dubbed “Vice-Versa”, it will include incentives to encourage individuals as well as collaborations with other educational institutions, government bodies and private agencies to make use of the recycling programme.
In a further bid to promote recycling, the organisation has relocated Khalifa International Stadium’s old electricity poles to Aspire Zone’s outdoor pitches, and is in the process of reclaiming Qatar’s old wooden telephone poles in order to use the recycled material throughout Aspire Park.
AZF also continues to help the environment further by making use of solar energy technologies throughout AZF, and is using its artificial lake as an irrigation tool for the Park as another example of its environmentally-friendly practices.
