Recycling in Oman

This is a post I've been meaning to write for quite a while and have just never gotten around to! Well.... here goes, the latest in my series: MM guide to Oman.

The Sultanate of Oman does not really do that much recycling, but contrary to the widely held belief, not everything you throw in the bin needs to go to the dump. Here's my round up of what you can recycle here:


1. Plastic water bottles. Masafi & Tanuf, and the Environmental Society of Oman have an active plastic bottle recycling program - rumour is that the recycling plant in the UAE is unable to accept the bottles currently, and so the bottles are being shredded and baled and stored until such a time that the UAE will allow the plastic refuse to be transported over the border for recycling. This may be old news, I've not heard an update to this in over a year. There are collection bins dotted all over the Capital, I personally use the one at the ABA school in Al Khuwair.



2. Paper. Apex publishing, the people behind Muscat Daily, The Week and a bunch of other publications, operate a paper recycling operation. They will come to your location (for volumes significant enough) to collect the paper, or alternatively there are a few collection bins around town - again I personally use the one at the ABA school in Al Khuwair.


3. Aluminium cans. Basically soda cans - not steel cans that are used for soups and such, but the aluminium ones. I'm not really 100% sure what happens with them, but there is an active group of people (at least here in Muscat) that will go around from bin to bin and collect the pop cans. I'm told they sell the cans by weight to "takers" who take the cans back to India on ships on return voyages for recycling there, and also I've heard the cans are sold to truck drivers heading back to the UAE, where apparently there are also takers who pay for the empty cans. Either way, if you separate your cans into a bag and leave them outside a dumpster, in less than an hour it's usually been picked up by someone.


4. Can ring-pulls. Yes the canning plants here are still using older machines that have the detachable ring pulls that went out of fashion in many other countries years ago for the number of broken nails and amount of litter they cause! Even the UAE has the newer style cans with the ring pulls that stay attached to the can. But, there's a silver lining, and that is that most of the expatriate schools in town run collections for these ring pulls, which are made from a high quality aluminium. The ring pulls are collected by a girl at the TAISM school, Tara Mary Aziz and donated to a charity in Thailand that melts them down and makes prosthetic limbs from them.

Thats about it, there is the charity shop run haphazardly by the Dar al Atta charity which is down in Ruwi which accepts all sorts of things - clothes, furniture etc, and there are numerous book sales run by various different groups (my two favourites are the Dar al Atta Lets Read campaign, and the Oman Cat-Astrophy expat-run animal spay and neutering program).

So, hopefully you will think the next time you throw a can in your trash, and try and reduce the amount of waste you personally generate - remember, every little helps!

I'm not aware of any other domestic recycling programs in town, if I've missed something please let me know by commenting here or dropping me an email!

le fin.
Recycling in Oman Recycling in Oman Reviewed by Sythe on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Rating: 5

14 comments:

  1. Thank you, great and useful info! Love your blogg :)

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  2. Plastic bottles---tanuf has stopped collecting the bottles due to the problem you had mentioned....a private co in wadi kabir is organising to collect the bottles from ABA....for the last three years i collect bottles from a local restaraunt and stock it in my company yard ...and use this private co to clear at frequent intervals..after my vacation i havent started collecting again..because of problems in clearing...

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  3. I have been worried about the plastic getting thrown, may I know please, the location of this school in Alkhuwair that has the collection bin?

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  4. from centerpoint alkhuwiar, proceed towards MSQ signal....take the free right on the signal....you will pass through khimji mart on the left, zahara tours on the right...you will hit the signal( FM building) ..you need to go straight from the signal...proceed on the road...the road will curve right a small slope and then take left....proceed straight and take left( you have no other option) ..you will hit the school...the bin is in the parking lot....

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  5. Does any one any bin for dumping paper for recycling in mabella area? I hv a substantial amount of buks and paper. I realy cant throw ma buks in dustbin just like that. So pls lemme know ASAP...

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Muscat Daily Newspaper unit have set up a convenient recycling procedure for papers/books etc. You just have to call their Recycling Team on this number - 80076000 (toll-free in Oman)and provide them your address and they will come and collect it from your doorstep. Best part of it .. leave it outside your door.. they will pick it up directly without you even opening your door!

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  6. We found a great recycle center near Bait Al Reem in North Khuwair - large set of bins 4m x2m x2m with glass, plastic, paper and tin sections

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  7. Nice

    and thank u for the information

    I collect plastic bottels and i used to deliver them to Mawaleh collecting point
    near shell filling station but no more that collection point is removed

    I will try Al Reem House in AL kwair

    it is realy a concern and i will send messege to Ministry of invironment and also Be'ah company as as far as i know there is no recycling workshop till today in Oman

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  8. hello please let me know if there is any collection centre in Al seeb area...

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  9. Hi I have recently moved to Muscat and I am looking for recycling bins around al seeb but so far I don't see any..

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  10. Which material recycling in Oman?

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  12. The more modern cans with the ring pulls that stay attached to the can are even available in the UAE. The majority of the foreign Fast X Leather Jacket in the area run collections for these ring pulls, which are made of high-quality aluminum, so there is one bright spot.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The more modern can with the ring pulls that Corporate Tax In Dubai stay attached to the can are even available in the UAE. The majority of the foreign schools in the area run collections for these high-quality metal ring pulls, so there is one bright spot.

    ReplyDelete

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