Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) has launched a large-scale recycling scheme within its offices and retail premises in support of its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.

Once the towers are fully operational the scheme will be operated by all office tenants, plus all shops within the adjoining Moda Mall, said a BWTC official.

This step follows the pioneering inauguration of the BWTC’s wind turbines, which generate enough energy to power 11 to 15 per cent of the office towers electricity requirements.

BWTC’s recycling initiative aims to make a contribution to protecting Bahrain’s natural resources, improving quality of lives for residents and stimulating the development of a greener economy, Bob Addison, country manager of BWTC’s managing and leasing agents DTZ, remarked.

So far in the scheme the BWTC has been successful in recycling 2.72 tonnes of paper and 3.45 tonnes of cardboard.

Calculations - based on sustainability-focused organisation Weyerhaeuser’s statistics - reveal that the above measures have saved the equivalent of 92.55 trees or 40678.81 of gallons of water or 2344.60 gallons of oil in the Kingdom.

The initial focus, which is on recycling waste streams like cardboard and paper, will eventually broaden to include glass, plastics and other waste products, Addison noted.

"Conservation and sustainability of existing resources is one of the most pressing environmental concerns that need to be tackled by Bahrain’s community today. We are shaping the Kingdom for years to come, and we must make every effort to leave as minimal a footprint as possible on the environment for future generations," he said.

"We wanted to initiate a simple in house, cost effective solution for our tenants to help protect the environment. Realising that recycling is one of the most effective strategies to promote sustainability, we are planning to roll out the programme to all our office tenants in the towers as they move in to the BWTC, which is currently underway," he added.

The structure of BWTC itself is testament to its underlying commitment to the environment and sustainability.

The building is the first commercial development in the world to incorporate large scale wind turbines into its structure, the use of which is forecast to eliminate around 55,000 cubic kgC of carbon emissions from the development every year.

Even the elliptical shaped towers of the BWTC act as aerofoils, and funnel and accelerate the wind velocity from the adjacent Gulf coast breeze, providing a renewable source of energy for the building.

The project has also been the recipient of international acclaim for its commitment to sustainable development, being awarded LEAF Awards 2006 for ‘Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme’ and recently the Arab Construction World ‘Sustainable Design Award’.

These accolades recognise the achievements of developments whose raison d'être is primarily environmental protection and improvement.-TradeArabia News Service