Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have launched a joint research project to design, build and operate the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorisation pilot plant, aiming to convert mixed food waste and compostable packaging into renewable biogas and nutrient-rich compost.

The partnership was officially launched at UAEU in Al Ain in the presence of value chain stakeholders, including the Emirates Environmental Group, Hotpack, AW Rostamani Group (VerraPak), Tadweer Group, University of Sharjah and Pacogreen.

Located near the UAEU campus, the pilot plant will process up to 40kg of organic waste per day.

The two-year project, running from August 2026 to August 2028, will assess the technical, environmental and economic performance of the integrated process and develop guidance to support potential scale-up in the UAE and beyond. Installation and commissioning are expected to be completed by August 2027.

Food waste accounts for nearly 40 per cent of daily municipal solid waste in the UAE, with a significant proportion disposed of in landfills.

Meanwhile, conventional plastic packaging contaminated with food residues can be difficult to recycle.

The project will investigate whether food waste and compostable packaging can be processed together to recover resources while reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill.

Dr Rami, Associate Provost for Research, UAEU stated: “At UAEU, we believe that solving societal and environmental challenges requires strong collaboration between academia and industry. Our partnership with Emirates Biotech demonstrates how research and innovation can be translated into practical, scalable solutions that support the UAE’s sustainability goals.”

“This integrated pilot project will evaluate a practical end-of-life pathway for food waste and compostable packaging while supporting the UAE’s circular economy, food security and Net Zero ambitions. It will also provide a platform for training students and researchers and strengthening local capability in waste-to-resource technologies” said Professor Zafar Said Sher, UAEU project lead.

The pilot plant will combine anaerobic digestion and composting. Anaerobic digestion will produce renewable biogas, while the resulting digestate will be composted to generate nutrient-rich compost.

A laboratory-scale assessment will also examine the potential to convert the biogas into renewable hydrogen.

Students and researchers will participate in the project, gaining practical research and technical experience in waste-to-resource technologies.

“The project will demonstrate a novel integrated biorefinery concept for organic waste management in the UAE. Anaerobic digestion will convert organic waste into renewable biogas, with the potential for upgrading to green hydrogen. The resulting digestate will undergo composting to produce nutrient-rich compost. Successful regional validation could be a game changer for organic waste diversion and circularity, while demonstrating the role of compostable packaging as an enabler.” Dr. Aman Kulshrestha, Chief Technology Officer of Emirates Biotech added.

If successfully scaled, an integrated organic-waste valorisation plant could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 89 per cent compared with landfilling.

The project is expected to generate technical evidence and establish a scalable, modular roadmap for transforming food waste and compostable packaging into renewable biogas and compost, supporting the UAE’s long-term waste-management, circular-economy and sustainability objectives. -TradeArabia News Service