The Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON), in collaboration with Binzagr Unilever Ltd., the Saudi branch of Unilever; and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute of Hajj and Umrah Research at Umm Al Qura University in Makkah, organized an environmental meeting of factories and companies at the headquarters of Jeddah 1st. Industrial City, with the aim of promoting best practices associated with environmental sustainability, by enlightening the need to reduce waste to zero.
The meeting, entitled "Environmental Management in Industrial Cities", presented the latest developments in solid waste research; and economic, health and social aspects of the recycling industry as well as the importance of publicizing the culture of waste sorting at institutions and individuals.
Mr. Bandar Al-Toaimi, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at “MODON”, said: “The trend towards rationalization and management of waste and adherence to the highest environmental standards in factories and companies is one of the basic purviews adopted by “MODON” and it is committed to its implementation in accordance with its plans and vision to build environmentally safe cities, to ensure the safety of workers and protect the community and future generations from pollution”.
Al-Toaimi explained that “MODON” is implementing an environmental management system based on the presence of (7) stations for measuring air quality, installed in (7) industrial cities, in addition to a mobile station installed in the rest of the industrial cities for periods of up to 3 months, as well as continuous testing of chimneys in 10 industrial cities. Besides environmental inspection of industrial facilities according to ISO 14001, and evaluating environmental industrial applications, correcting violations and harmful practices in the public environment, rehabilitation of damaged areas, and providing awareness at the internal and external levels, which aims to contribute to realizing the Saudi Vision 2030.
Mr. Khalid Fayed, Managing Director and General Manager of Binzagr Unilever, said that their journey to reach zero waste is continuing, especially after their factory in Saudi Arabia managed to reach this percentage as one of the first factories to achieve this achievement in the Kingdom, stressing their role in spreading this culture and sharing their experience with their partners and peers in the Saudi business sector and with governmental organizations and institutions.
"The amount of solid waste collected annually is about 1.3 billion tons, about 80 percent of which is sent to landfill, which is the equivalent of 1.5 million football fields," said Fayed. "Our role in Binzagr Unilever goes beyond individual achievement to be effective across the Kingdom, contributing to the dissemination of a culture of environmental sustainability and achievement of its objectives throughout the Kingdom”.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah presented the results of its research in the management and protection of the environment in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The institute also presented its latest successful practices in waste treatment and safe disposal methods.