MUSCAT: The volume of recyclable waste including plastic waste produced in the Sultanate of Oman is about 2.3 million tonnes per year, and could make a revenue of RO 530 million annually if plastic is recycled locally, according to a study published by Oman Environmental Services Holding Company SAOC (be’ah), the sole entity overseeing the management of solid waste in the country.
The study, published as part of be'ah's Sustainability Report for 2022, indicates that the volume of circular economy investments in the Sultanate of Oman is estimated at about RO 577 million.
"Out of the most prominent initiatives which help decrease the impact of plastic is by recycling it or using environmentally friendly alternatives and increasing community awareness about it," the report stated.
In the Sultanate of Oman, plastic dominates the opening list of most harmful wastes to the environment; as it stays in the environment for a long time and contains non-degradable chemicals, thus affecting the ecosystem as it ends up in landfills around the country.
Plastic waste has been considered to be 'the biggest threat to our environment and makes up 21 per cent by weight and 50 per cent by volume of the engineered landfills set up across the length and breadth of the country.
According to the environmentalists, the massive quantities of plastic waste generated around the Sultanate of Oman is threatening to overwhelm these dumpsites, and segregating and diverting the recyclable types of plastic, mainly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) based waste, is the only way to reduce the quantities of waste being disposed of in landfills.
The impact of plastics goes beyond damaging the soil, and goes beyond groundwater or surface water, due to its potentiality to impact living organisms in the marine environment such as plants or fish that feed on or affected by these plastics.
According to Muscat Municipality, some good practices may make a difference in solving the problem of plastic waste accumulation and reduce it. This relies on the awareness of community members.
"They need to be educated in their role towards the environment as they are a part and a vital system on the planet by adopting optimal and effective waste management to minimise the use of unnecessary plastics in everyday life," Khalid al Khanbashi, Media Coordinator at the Muscat Municipality, said.
Accordingly, an intentional choice not to buy or use plastic materials that harm our environment and to think seriously before buying plastics is what is the need of the hour. Also, avoiding single use plastic goods and replacing it with other biodegradable and reusable materials or disposing plastic in a way without causing harm to the environment is another way to reduce the mounting plastic waste in the country.
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