EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 05/25 www.petpla.net 10 The waste converters by Ruari McCallion Establishing an organisation to promote a circular economy for plastics sounds simple but making it a reality in a country that has not given much thought to waste and sustainability is a major challenge. Interview with Omniya PET Recycling // October 27, 2024 We met: Mrs Sanaa Al Ghemlas, Founder & CEO Historically, there has been no recycling in the Gulf States, from Kuwait to the United Arab Emirates. Mrs Sanaa Al Ghemlas has a clear environmental vision: to build a circular economy for plastics in Kuwait. Omniya, the vehicle to realise her goal, is raising awareness of the impact of plastic packaging with a variety of initiatives, including the involvement of schoolchildren. “We started as an NGO (nongovernmental organisation) in 2015, initially with the intention of spreading awareness about plastics in Kuwait, going out with messages about the importance of segregating plastics and recycling,” said Mrs Sanaa Al Ghemlas, founder and CEO of Omniya Collection System. “We approached the Kuwait National Fund for SMEs and we were awarded funding to build the first PET recycling plant in the whole Gulf region.” Omniya started producing PET hot washed flakes in 2017. Its market was primarily Europe and its quality was high enough to be approved by Dow Chemical. The end of the beginning “Unfortunately, supply of post-consumer PET in Kuwait turned out to be minimal,” Mrs Al Ghemlas continued. “Along with the high cost of renting the premises, it became clear that the project was not viable and we had to close down, at the end of 2021.” Omniya had been the first to seek to recycle PET in the whole Gulf region, it had acquired unequalled expertise and insight into the needs and logistics of waste management, collection and recycling. When it reopened as a not-for-profit company, in March 2023, it was with a clear focus on collection and waste management. It has attracted sponsorship from the private sector and from the National Bank of Kuwait and Equate Petrochemical Company. “When we were operating previously we established a collection system, with containers across all the governorates (districts) of Kuwait. They aren’t like dumpsters; they are small rooms, 2m x 2m and 2.5m in height,” Mrs Al Ghemlas explained. Omniya redoubled its efforts in the country’s schools, both private and public sector. Changing culture with technology “The schoolkids had got to know Omniya and had started to collect for us. They wanted to continue what we had begun previously. While we were recycling, we collected over 2,000 t of postconsumer PET bottles and produced around 1,500 t of washed flakes. We managed that without any incentive at all. The people did it because they thought it was the right thing.” Omniya has now introduced competitions between schools to collect the most PET, and it is working. “Last year, we had about 48 schools involved and collected about 150 t. This year, we have over 100 schools,” Mrs Al Ghemlas said. The project has been embraced by youngsters of all ages, from the most junior grades to high schools. “We now have all our containers located on Google Maps, so people know where to put their waste once it has been collected and segregated, and have an app linked to it to record activity. We are working with private sector companies to encourage them to offer people the chance to earn discounts against services or on products.” The app has now been downloaded over 20,000 times and activity is running at around 1,000 interactions a day. The International Alliance to End Plastic Waste has approved a grant to enable Omniya to increase the number of collection points and to acquire two new compactors. It is supplying segregated waste to partners like Almannai, which manufactures preforms. Closing the loop “Manufacturers in Kuwait who produce PET preforms from 100% recycled PET, which we then put into schools to use as their water bottles, means that we are showing the schoolchildren what they have done and that we are achieving our objective of closing the loop,” she said. “I hope that, soon, plastic will be seen as valuable a resource in Kuwait as oil.” www.omniya-kw.com EDITOUR
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