More than 47 companies will exhibit at EcoWaste, a leading conference and exhibition on sustainable environment, upcoming in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The fourth edition of the event will be held from January 16 to 19 January as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Hosted by Masdar in strategic partnership with Tadweer, EcoWaste highlights the business opportunities available by adopting the latest solutions and technologies in the waste management sector in the Middle East region.

A key feature will be the Waste Management Solutions Forum; a day-long programme of discussions with leading industry speakers. More than 20 sessions will cover topics including waste segregation and recycling, specific waste types such as tyres, environmental health and medical waste, and municipal waste strategies in the Mena region.

“Whether it is the unused food and packaging we dispose of from household kitchens, through to construction and demolition waste, or consumer products at the end of their useful lives, how we deal with waste has an immediate impact on the quality of our environment and our quality of life,” said Eisa Saif Al Qubaisi, general manager of Tadweer, the Center for Waste Management - Abu Dhabi.

Al Qubaisi will present the keynote address during the Waste Management Solutions Forum, speaking on the development of efficient waste management strategies to encourage sustainable approaches, and the positive economic impact this can have.

Among other high-level speakers, Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, will offer a presentation on the Finnish waste management experience – the country recognised as a leader in sustainability for innovations such as large-scale use of waste-to-energy technology.

“We need to be as forward-thinking in our approach to these issues as we are with other aspects of sustainability, such as energy and water security,” said Al Qubaisi. “From waste collection, through to re-use and recycling, and in the appropriate handling of different types of waste, EcoWaste drives innovation and helps us strive towards best practice.”

Worldwide, the World Bank has predicted the volume of municipal solid waste collection would double in the 15 years from 2010 to 2025, reaching 2.2 billion tonnes. In the GCC, analysis by Frost and Sullivan has found that waste volume is growing at a compound 11 per cent each year.

EcoWaste takes a comprehensive view of waste management, including construction and demolition waste management, environmental service providers, and facilities management, as well as hazardous and organic waste management, pest control, and advanced innovations in waste-to-energy and waste treatment systems.

More than 47 companies will exhibit at EcoWaste, with more than 5,500 attendees and at least 100 different products and solutions to view. The Business Connect programme will pre-arrange hundreds of meetings between buyers and sellers across the public and private sectors. In 2016, EcoWaste’s Business Connect program hosted 966 meetings with 345 executive buyers from 227 companies and 25 countries.

“We are very pleased to see high levels of industry support for EcoWaste in 2017, with the event now recognised as the region’s leading forum for new ideas and new business opportunities in waste management,” said Ara Fernezian, group managing director - Middle East, at Reed Exhibitions, which organises WFES and its co-located events in partnership with Masdar. “The success of EcoWaste is further proof that there is a strong business case for sustainability in the Middle East.”

EcoWaste 2017 will be co-located with the World Future Energy Summit and International Water Summit, held from 16 to 19 January at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. – TradeArabia News Service