The 4th Recycling Towards Sustainability Conference and Exhibition, organised by the Ministry of Municipality under the slogan 'For a Sustainable Future and a Lasting Legacy', concluded yesterday. Held under the auspices of HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah al-Attiyah, the two-day event saw 147 speakers in 11 panel discussions on the optimal and effective ways for waste management and recycling and establishing sustainability as an option in Qatar.
The second and closing day of the conference featured five panel discussions, during which the participants presented several scientific researches and successful experiences in the field of recycling and sustainability. The first session focused on "recycling in smart cities" which represents a major shift towards a more sustainable and effective waste management system in terms of resources.
The session touched on many topics, including utilising technology, data, and innovative solutions that enable significant improvement of recycling rates in smart cities, as well as reducing their environmental impact, and creating a recycling-based economy.
The second session addressed the experiences of the private sector in the field of recycling and sustainability, and touched on the knowledge, experience and capabilities that private companies have acquired through their participation in recycling and sustainability initiatives, starting with waste collection and treatment, through developing innovative technologies and solutions to recover and reuse resources.
Speakers, in the session, praised the role of the private sector in the field of recycling and sustainability to build a more sustainable future, while participants stressed that private companies can play a decisive role in improving waste management systems, promoting technological developments, and creating a circular economy through which resources are used efficiently and waste reduction is achieved.
The third session highlighted "How to market recycled products," as speakers touched on the strategies and technologies used to enhance the collection, processing, and use of materials that can be recycled. They also discussed the crucial role that marketing recyclable materials plays in enhancing recycling processes and promoting the building of a more sustainable society, stressing the necessity of creating awareness, demand, and value for these materials among consumers and companies, which helps the transition to a circular economy where waste is viewed as resources.
The fourth session focused on artificial intelligence and technological means in the field of recycling, and improving the efficiency and diversity of various processes, which leads to raising efficiency, increasing accuracy, and improving sustainability. Speakers pointed to key applications including waste sorting and identification, improving waste collection routes, preventive maintenance of waste treatment equipment, resource recovery and reuse, as well as developing sustainable waste management strategies.
Meanwhile, the fifth session discussed the best methods and developments in dealing with organic waste in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, with a focus on green transformations.
The speakers touched on the main relevant applications, including anaerobic decomposition, thermal transformation processes for organic waste, rearing black fly larvae, and organic waste refining plants, focusing in this topic on seeking effective, sustainable, and innovative means of converting organic waste into valuable resources that contribute to creating a greener and more sustainable future.
