KUWAIT CITY, June 27: Used tyres are still dumped randomly in landfills and desert areas – a serious issue that caused successive fire incidents in used tyre collection sites, not to mention their harmful effect on the environment, says Chairperson of the Environmental Affairs Committee in the Municipal Council Alia Al-Farsi. Al-Farsi made the statement after the first workshop organized by the committee entitled, “Impact of Tyre Landfills and Dumping Sites on Public Health and Environmental Safety: The Current Situation and Sustainable Solutions” with the participation of the concerned organizations and associations such as the Environment Public Authority (EPA), Public Authority for Industry (PAI), World Health Organization (WHO), ministries of Health, Public Works and Interior, Kuwait Fire Force (KFF), Legal Advice and Legislation Department, Kuwait Environmental Protection Society (KEPS), Kuwait Green Building Council, Tyre Recycling Factory, interested parties and activists. She stressed the need for all concerned parties to work together in finding sustainable solutions to the Salmi tyres problem in order to improve the environmental conditions in the country, while giving income-generating opportunities to entrepreneurs and factory owners.

The workshop discussed the process of randomly disposing used tyres in Salmi and fire outbreak from time to time, causing fumes and materials harmful to health and the environment. Kuwait Municipality previously carried out the process of transporting these tyres; noting that countries around the world, including Kuwait, face big challenges in protecting the environment and reducing pollution through recycling and treating waste. Al-Farsi affirmed that the workshop focused on finding sustainable solutions, the most important of which are ways to achieve zero waste and the use of soft tyre waste in the asphalt industry. She said recycled materials from used tyres were used in the maintenance of a street in Riggae. In addition, recycled waste is utilized in many industries, such as fuel for factory furnaces and flooring for sports clubs, stadiums and bicycle paths.

She explained that the International Basel Convention on Strategies for Dealing with Hazardous Waste established a comprehensive table of the benefits and drawbacks of environmentally friendly waste disposal methods. She revealed that the workshop discussed the possibility of treating and filling dangerous potholes on the streets with tyre waste as a quick and feasible solution that protects lives, as well as a mechanism aimed at reducing tyre fires and activating the role of the firefighting force. She indicated that investment in the field of waste management and treatment is in line with the strategic objectives of the State of Kuwait in the field of improving the quality of life and sustaining and preserving resources. She concluded by emphasizing that the workshop is a continuation of the efforts initiated by the current Municipal Council to address the problem of municipal waste management and public hygiene, and the role of the Environmental Affairs Committee in protecting the environment. On the other hand, council member Farah Al-Roumi said everyone is aware of the danger of accumulating car tyres and assembling them in landfills in a way that does not comply with environmental, security and safety standards. She warned this is a threat to the environment and public health, as it is a source of pollution and a waste of natural resources.

By Inaas Awadh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff