An overview of the plastic waste and recycling status in Qatar

The State of Qatar has recently launched its national vision (QNV2030) underlining, therein, its full commitment to retain harmony between the main three pillars of sustainable development: economic growth, social development and environmental management. However, rapid development and "mega" construction projects, in view of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, have set the country in an orbit that the majority of the waste and environmental experts would, possibly, deem as unsustainable. Moreover, the State seems to lack a proper recycling and waste management infrastructure whereas the public is not properly incentivized and/or aware of the overall existing solid waste status. It has been estimated that the average Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generation rate per capita in the Gulf Co-operation countries (GCC) is approx. 1.5 kg/person/d, with Qatar reaching almost 1.4 kg/person/d, as it was recently reported, thereby ranking the Gulf States in the top places of the most waste generating countries globally. Plastics, accounting for approx. 13–14% of the total MSW (in these countries), constitute both a significant amount and a valuable resource to be recovered. In the current work, an attempt is made towards delineating the plastic waste and recycling status of the country, based on recent governmental reports. The current recovery and recycling system of the State is also briefly analysed, outlining the main drawbacks, while concurrently highlighting the potential opportunities/benefits of developing the waste management infrastructure in the country.