Sharjah

The UAE’s circular economy goals may depend less on plastics and more on solving the growing challenge of organic waste. A high-level sustainability roundtable hosted by the American University of Sharjah in collaboration with Emirates Biotech highlighted that organic waste accounts for nearly 40% of municipal waste in the UAE, yet remains under-prioritised in policy and infrastructure planning. Industry experts, government officials and academics stressed that mandatory waste separation, landfill pricing reforms and UAE-specific compostable material standards are essential to achieving the country’s Circular Economy Policy 2031 and climate targets.