Recycling solutions in Qatar
Initiative description: Identifying available repurposing, sorting, recycling and composting options and markets for all key materials likely to be collected during the preparation, staging and post-tournament phases, and establishing connections with organisations that can provide appropriate use and treatment solutions for such materials in Qatar, as well as generate new related products.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ stadium sites have collectively diverted 79 percent of solid waste from landfill through reuse and recycling during construction. The recent Waste Management report highlights some of the best practices implemented during the stadium construction phase related to the recycling of concrete, wood, metal scrap, plastic, paper and waste oil in Qatar.
As construction nears completion, attention has turned to planning for tournament waste minimisation, reuse and recycling.
To ensure Qatar has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and services to handle increased waste from the tournament, we have been pursuing various options. Our main focus has been on identifying available repurposing, sorting, recycling and composting options and markets for all key materials likely to be collected during the preparation, staging and post-tournament phases.
Extensive liaison with the government and the private sector is being carried out to support the involvement of national recycling and composting companies in test events. Through this involvement, we aim to help the industry expand and prepare for upcoming major tournaments in Qatar.
Working with facility managers and specialist national recycling companies, we implemented recycling efforts at two stadiums during the FIFA Club World Cup 2020™. At both venues, we implemented fully functioning recycling stations, which taught us valuable lessons about how to improve front and back of house waste sorting for recycling, and highlighted the need to enhance our awareness-raising efforts with fans and the workforce.
Building on these lessons-learned, we plan to implement enhanced recycling solutions during the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup 2021™. This will allow us to further improve our recycling efforts in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.