A MAGAZINE FROM THE WORLD LEADER IN AUTOMATED WASTE COLLECTION

1:08News – Middle east - aldar is workiNg with eNvac - eNvac at expo saragossa, dubai - a gigaNt waste challaNge, abu dhabi - abu dhabis waste collectioN, dubai - aN australiaN architect creates greeN buildiNg treNds iN dubai , dubai - chaos oN the road iN record tiMe, valdespartera - sara-gossa - Not just aN expo, dubai - 100 toNNes of food waste a day requires very efficieNt haNdliNg

THeme: middle easT

�

Escalating oil prices and geopolitical changes across the globe are the two most frequently cited factors contributing to the explosive urban growth in the Middle East. Ever stiffer competition between the Emirates and an almost frantic determination to use architecture to create an urban identity are the forces driving the expansion. In this game, Dubai is quickly becoming the most appealing example of a successful recipe for favourable economic development, even for countries and cities outside of the region.

The extremely rapid rate of urbanisation seldom leaves room for environmental and social considerations. The amounts of waste produced and energy consumed here are the highest per capita in the world. There is practically no public transportation to speak of and, in the past couple of years, this has caused considerable traffic congestion. Major socio-economic gaps also exist in the region whose expansion depends mainly on inexpensive foreign labour, with most of the workers coming from India.

So it is fascinating to observe the dedication with which the leaders in the Emirates are now creating new regulations and structures in order to push these developments in a more sustainable direction. A lot of the projects currently in the pipeline will be some of the world’s leading examples of sustainable city planning within the next few years. The ways in which the Emirates are tackling their problems and the results achieved will have a major impact on many of the rapidly expanding regions around the world. Another fascinating example of sustainable urban development is the project Valdespartera in Saragossa in Spain. Much like in the Middle East this part of Spain has a very dry and windy climate. The determination to make this to a beacon of sustainable development in this part of the world is impressive.

Jonas Törnblom Editor

Publisher Christer Öjdemark, CEO & PresidentEnvac AB

Editor-in-chief Jonas Törnblom, Director Corporate Marketing & Communication, Envac AB jonas.tornblom@envac.se

Edtiorial board Jonas TörnblomAnja Almstedt

Writers Jonas Törnblom Mercedes ToscanoAnja Almstedt

Photography Envac AB, STORM CONSULTANS, Emirates Flight Catering, Aldar

ProductionAnja Almstedt

Repro Envac ABLithoteknik, Motala

Print and distributionAB Danagårds Grafiska, Ödeshög

ENVAC ABSE-117 84 StockholmSwedenOffice address: Bryggvägen 16 Tel: +46 8 775 32 00 Fax: +46 8 7261816 www.envac.net

Dubai

Unparalleled urban expansion with increasing eco-awareness

� �

Envac Middle East has recently been awarded the Yas Island development by Aldar in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. ALDAR Properties PJSC is a leading property development company in Abu Dhabi.

The Yas Island project is predominantly a leisure development centred around an F1 grand prix race course that will be surrounded by theme parks, retail malls and hotel developments around a natural marina. Phase 1 will handle approximately 70 tonnes of waste per day and includes the F1 area, surrounding Marina and hotel

AldAr is working with EnvAc

EnvAc At Expo sArAgossA

The future F1 grand prix arena © Aldar

Envac Iberia SA was one of the sponsors of the Swedish pavilion at World Expo in Saragossa in Spain who took place between June and September. One attraction in the Swedish pavilion, which received over 600,000 visitors was a STUFFED moose. Lorenzo, who was by Spanish schoolchildren in a name competition was the most photographed object in the entire

developments and the retail mall. Each of the areas will be separating waste at source into two fractions and the waste will be transported through a 6 km pipe network to 3 collection stations located on the perimeter of the development.

The first system will be commissioned in September 2009 prior to the inaugural F1 grand prix which is scheduled for November 2009. This is the second F1 race track to be constructed in the Middle East; the first being in Bahrain and they were eager to avoid the same problems that Bahrain are having

through implementing a conventional truck approach which has resulted in it taking up to three months to remove the waste after the race.

exhibition. Another exhibition item that attracted much attention was Envacs new outdoor inlet NOA, developed by the Spanish organization. The next World Exhibition takes place 2010 in Shanghai with the theme ’Better City - Better Life’. Envac will participate as sponsor of the Swedish Pavillion in Shanghai Expo 2010 as well. in this exhibition.

Lorenzo, the most photografed object in the exhibition

�

dUBai

a gigantic waste challenge

The situation is most critical in the Arab Emirates, particularly in the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Without an end in sight for the construction boom, Dubai’s mountains of waste are growing at an alarming rate.

city and the improvement of collection

logistics and waste treatment at the top

of his list of priorities. The goal is to

make the urban environment as clean,

attractive and hygienic as possible.

“Our greatest challenge is to keep up

with the rapid phase of expansion

taking place in our city,” Director

the gulf states produce 120 million tonnes of waste a year, which means they rank tenth in the world for waste production per capita. the amount of waste is increasing rapidly and, if it continues at this rate, it is expected that by 2014 these countries will be producing the most waste in the world per person each year!

Waste from demolition and construc-tion sites accounts for a significant proportion, having increased by 163 percent in just the past year. Surplus materials from construction and demo-lition sites represent 75 percent of all waste in Dubai and barely 30 percent

of this is recycled.

Household refuse grew by 13 percent from 2006 to 2007 and now constitutes 3.34 million tonnes on an annual basis.

What is the best way of getting to grips with the growing problem of waste?Director Hassan Mohammed Makki,

who is responsible for the management

of solid waste in Dubai, puts the

development of a waste strategy for the

Mr Makki is responsible for solid waste issues at the Urban Development Department in Dubai.

� �

aBU dHaBi

Makki explains. “Because of the fast

growth in population, where 70 percent

is short-term population, every attempt

at accomplishing a change in behaviour is turned into a Sisyphean task. We also have huge numbers of foreign workers from subcontinent and the Middle East. Most of them are unqualified and many are unable to read and write,” Mr

Makki explains.

more challenges“Another challenge is to encourage more environmentally-responsible behaviour with regards to waste. Many people ask the question – What’s in

it for me? To help them discover the answer, we have launched a number of “recycle and win” campaigns. Every time someone hands in their waste for recycling, they receive vouchers that entitle them to discounts and special offers in Emirates’ Retail Outlets.

We are testing different ways of encou-raging and increasing recycling. Howe-ver, the lack of good collection systems and recycling capacity often limits us.”

“The dramatically increasing amounts of waste that are being transported also pose a problem. This is where the Envac system has an obvious advantage, since it means the waste can be stored for a longer time and transported at night ”.

abu dhabis Waste Collection

In June 2008, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, announced that it would be investing Dh 500 million (about € 80 million) over a period of ten years to improve the collection, recycling and riddance of household and commercial waste in collaboration with the private sector.

The investment will partly fund a project, which exists in just two other places in the world, for the production of high-quality plastic from collected packaging.

Plastic from up to 2.4 million PET bottles per day will be reused to make food and beverage packaging.

�

dUBai

the opinion that it was not possible to adapt or upgrade existing Arabic buildings posed one of the greatest architectural challenges in the development of the region. Although the

small, low, traditional style dwellings were certainly ideally suited to the extreme climatic conditions of the area, they did not fit in to the local leaders’ lofty plans for growth and development. the ruler of dubai, his highness sheikh Mohammed Bin rashid Al Maktoum, and vice-president of the U.A.E., has realised that such expansion is unsustainable without

an australian architect creates green building trends in dubai

We spoke with Mr Barry Swayn about sustainable urban planning in the region. Barry is the Director of Design & Architecture at STORM CONSUL-TANTS, a highly eminent consulting firm in Dubai.

“One of the things that struck me most when I first came to Dubai in 1996 was the lack of shade in built-up areas. For instance, there were no shaded areas around or paths between buildings. Some of the older districts had colon-nades, but there seemed to be a general

Barry Swayn, an architect from Australia that came to Dubai in 1996. He is the director of the Design&Architcture – STORM CONSULTANTS. In his background you can see the Mas-ter plan of one of his ongoing projects – ”The Palisades”, Dubai Investment Park.

lack of understanding or utilisation of

these features in this hot climate.”

United arab emirates adopting energy efficiency codes and standardsBarry says that responsible architectural design should respond to the concepts of passive thermal design and that crea-tion of shade needed to be incorporated as a natural feature in the design of buildings and houses in the region. The

problem is that architectural design was

not respecting these basic environmen-

tal principles which were being avoided

in large scale development by using

antiquated design and construction

practices in a region that had grown

and was continuing to grow at break-

neck speed. Most of the buildings had

been constructed without any thermal

insulation at all and entirely without

consideration for energy efficiency. Alt-

hough Dubai Municipality introduced

energy efficiency standards at the start

introducing demands for greater energy efficiency and environmental awareness.

�

of the new millennium, and has since

then progressively increased the requi-

rements and standards, buildings are

still being constructed in some areas of

Dubai without the slightest thought for

thermal insulation, and on a wider scale

without a thorough understanding of

‘thermal performance integrity’ within

the design of the external envelope.

One of the key objectives of Sheikh

Mohammed’s initiative for a greener

Dubai is therefore to create

a vastly better understanding

and knowledge of the need

for energy efficiency, and to

capitalise on the benefits to

the wider community and the

world at large.

Back to square oneThe Dubai Electricity and

Water Authority (DEWA)

has recently implemented

more developed requirements

for master planning of new

developments that detail more

realistic calculations of projected energy

consumption and electricity needs.

According to Barry Swayn this means

that the entire design process has to

go back to square one, to a more rigo-

rous and robust design and planning

process. This means that simple things

such as: How the buildings facades

are designed must be considered at the

planning stage, because their design

and construction affect the need for air

conditioning and chilled water, which

relates to the overall energy consump-

tion. This in turn impacts on DEWA’s

requirements for energy production,

and consequently the provision and

cost of services infra-structure to the

wider community.

Choice of materialQ: How do these requirements and

standards affect the choice of materials?

A large percentage of new buildings in

Dubai are made of glass. Surely that’s not

particularly energy efficient?

solutions are often project specific and

cannot be automatically used in another

project, let alone in Dubai.

Such integrated designed system/solu-

tions are energy efficient but when

considered through ignorance as just

a ‘glass facade’ are obviously more

expensive than the more basic locally

made facades and are therefore often

not used, being substituted by less effi-

cient solutions because of percei-

ved costs savings. Yes, the initial

outlay on a well designed glass

facade is higher, but unfortuna-

tely the life cycle costs are often

not taken into consideration.

Hopefully the new Environmen-

tal Laws when implemented will

be applied correctly, and these

short sighted false economies will be cancelled out by requirements to acknowledge the bigger issues of long-term energy conservation and social responsibility, which in turn provides the developer/client/owner with significant future financial savings.

Q: Current environmental standards

within the building industry focus almost

exclusively on buildings as separate enti-

ties. What consequences does this have

on the environmental performance of the

area?

A: This is where we lose the greatest cumulative benefits of sustainable design and construction. The whole planning process ought to cover the bigger picture of planning for the larger community.

Dubai is currently one of the world’s fastest growing cities. At 2012 Dubai is estimated to have more than 30 skyscrapers with a height of 300 meters.

A: No, they may not be the most effi-cient, but it very much depends on the way the building facades are designed. Indeed, some types of glass facades can be energy efficient particularly when integrated with passive designs. Where glass is used, it must be integrated into the building’s facade detailing in the right way.

Double-glazed windows, common in Europe and North America, are often part of a comprehensive design that includes energy saving considerations through reduction of internal artificial lighting requirements that are also part

of the buildings life cycle costing. These

�

dUBai

It’s therefore necessary for local aut-horities to realise the importance of having standards and criteria that add-ress and encourage collective or multip-le developments to capitalise on the full spectrum of sustainability. For the futu-re, there has to be a broader plan for urban development from Governments and Authorities to encourage and cause more significant benefits and capitalise on future development opportunities.

Q: What effects are the oil shortage and

the rising oil prices having on urban plan-

ning in the Arab Emirates?

A: Many of the basic assumptions that our society has held in the past, espe-cially the false belief that we have a never-ending supply of cheap oil and

the lack of understanding about global

warming, have now radically changed.

There is no longer any continuity in

these thought processes. Politicians and

authorities have to reassess their areas

of interest and social and community

responsibilities. They must ask: “What

is best for society as a whole?”.

Q: Isn’t the United Arab Emirates better

equipped than other nations to lead this

process of change? You have strong lead-

ers, committed to the sustainable deve-

lopment of the region. Many of the rigid,

archaic structures and rules that exist in

the western world are unknown here. You

have lots of huge projects on the go and a

robustly growing economy.

A: Most definitely! That is why it is so fantastic that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and others

like him are providing leadership as mentors for developing an understan-ding of the challenges that confront us. However, they need the support of highly trained advisors so that they can be appropriately guided to see the entire context of the issues rather than just partial solutions. We must break down these barriers and any misguided thought processes based on obsolete assumptions. This doesn’t have to mean that architecture will be duller and more boring. To the contrary, a more broad-minded approach to the urba-

nisation and planning process allows for so many more exciting solutions and techniques. We simply have to be prepared to change our way of thinking and working.

Q: These changes in the ways in which

urban planning is viewed and approached

will mean more expense. Who will shoul-

der these costs and how will the private

contractors justify these increased costs?

A: That’s a good question since it underscores the general assumption that it costs more to change to con-struction that is more sustainable. In recent years, there are consultants that have been developing programmes that evaluate projects and components from a very early stage of conceptual design,

through development costs, to payback dates and break-even points. These programmes clearly show that although the initial outlay maybe higher, that life cycle costs are lower, and the client’s returns are greater.

We also have to understand what are the cost-driving components? How do we think water, electricity, housing, general construction and infrastructure costs will escalate in the future? Increasing volu-mes of waste is another aspect seldom taken into account during planning.

“Construction project evaluations very rarely take replacement costs and the need for long-term maintenance and repair into account. Clients must learn that we must get away from the classic throw-away mentality in this area too, because they will ultimately pay in the long run”

Other aspects that have to be conside-

red are operational and environmental

costs. What will it cost to deal with

all the materials in the ‘food chain’

that is the construction process, from

supply to waste removal to materials

that are replaced in renovation and

refurbishment? This is a particularly

relevant question in this region of

the world where we don’t have all

the components of the environmental

infrastructure that other countries have and where most materials are imported.

Construction project evaluations very

rarely take replacement costs and the

need for long-term maintenance and

repair into account. Clients must learn

that we must get away from the classic

throw-away mentality in this area too,

because they will ultimately pay in the

long run.

�

The Apartment Buildings in Dubai investment Park - The Palisades © STORM CONSULTANTS Dubai

the recycling of two separate types of

waste - wet/non recyclable waste and

the other is the recyclable waste, there-

fore recycling and waste management

starts at the source. In this way, we are

able to eliminate ‘smelly’ separate waste rooms and the need for ‘noisy’ and ‘smelly’ transport waste collection rou-tes through residential areas.

Waste rooms require air conditioning and daily cleaning, they also entail capi-tal investment and management costs - which we would prefer not to incur.

We have centralised the waste mana-gement logistics to one single point on the site and have ‘cleaned up’ the entire

Q: How does Envac’s underground waste

system fit into this holistic life-cycle

approach?

A: I am amazed there aren’t more

people who have realised the advanta-

ges of the Envac system. Our project,

‘The Palisades’, focuses on bringing

greater efficiency to waste manage-

ment. From a central point, we will be

laying a system of pipes, like a row of

fingers to connect all the buildings in

the project. We start at the source of

the waste, which is in the buildings.

We install a twin chute/pipe system in

each apartment building that allows for

project, thereby enhancing the quality of life for the 34,500 people who will live here. ‘The Palisades’ Project with the Envac Waste Management Sys-tem educates and encourages users to become more environmentally aware of waste generation, waste management, the social responsibility as a community member towards recycling, and the awareness and custodial responsibility we should demonstrate for our children

and their children’s future.

10

dUBai

It is rather paradoxical that a region

with so much empty space and an

almost endless supply of inexpensive

petrol has reached the end of the road

in terms of transportation. This is

because Dubai has expanded almost

exclusively along the coast along the

Persian Gulf. As a consequence, a great,

long stretch of land that is no more

than one or two kilometres in width

has been developed. There is no natural

city centre, building permits have been

generously issued and property prices

have escalated dramatically leading to

increased building density – all of which

has created an extreme dependence on

cars. And urban development in Abu

Dhabi is heading the same way.

Topping the global list for traffic accidentsIt’s not just private motoring that is

growing at lightening speed. The trans-

portation of heavy goods is also increa-

sing rapidly and the number of lorries and trucks is expected to reach one

million by 2015. As a result, trips that

normally only take a matter of minutes

have turned into hour-long nightmares.

The frustration caused by this traffic

chaos has pushed up accident figures

Chaos on the roads in record time

to such an extent that Dubai now tops

the list for the most traffic accidents in

the world in relation to the population

density.

Car pooling now legalisedThe governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are therefore planning a series of measures to address the chaotic situation on the roads. The Road and Transport Authority in Dubai recently announced that car pooling is now legal in the Arab Emirates. The ban on car pooling was introduced in an attempt to control the problem of illegal taxi operations.

Another measure that the government is considering is to invest in a railway network that would connect not only the United Arab Emirates but also all countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia

Focus on waste transportEnvac’s underground waste system offers a highly attractive solution to the problem of using heavy vehicles to transport waste. In a number of projects, discussions are underway concerning local waste recycling centres

The traffic chaos in Dubai causes a lot of accidents.

tailbacks that stretch for miles have recently become the norm in dubai. the astounding rate of expansion that both dubai and Abu dhabi have been experiencing has taken place against a background of insufficient road planning and practically a total lack of public transportation. dubai city is therefore investing in an over ground metro system and has plans to introduce a car toll system - making it the first city in the region to do so.

and new technology that would extend the underground transportation route by several kilometres and thereby entirely eliminate the need to use heavy vehicles to transport waste by road.

11

ValdesparTera

Chaos on the roads in record time saragossa - not just expo

“Ecociudad valdespartera” (the Environmental city of valdes-partera) was initiated in 2001 when the city of saragossa and the spanish department of defence signed an agreement which included the development of the 242 hectare area called valdespartera as part of saragossa’s general develop-ment plan. one key condition in this agreement was that the area would be developed according to bioclimatic principles.

The installation of an underground waste transportation system was consi-dered an interesting option right at the start of the project. The development plans for the area therefore included the possibility of installing an underground waste system, although this was not an

explicit requirement.

extensive preliminary investigationsThe project management team for Ecociudad Valdespartera decided to visit Majadahonda, Almería and Barce-lona, where underground systems were already installed, to give them better insight into what a vacuum transporta-

tion system involved. Neither the city

of Saragossa nor the region of Aragon

had any prior experience of this kind of

technology.

The project management team also

decided to enlist the services of two

consulting firms to review the techni-

cal and financial implications that the

installation of this technology would

entail. This resulted in a cost estima-

tion of €9 million for the investment,

with the individual developers’ costs

amounting to between €550 and €900

per residence. Operating costs for

the system were estimated at €30 per

tonne, which was about two-thirds of

the average costs of traditional waste

collection in Saragossa.

The Valdespartera project received a grant of up to €22.5 million after being

1�

ValdesparTera

classified as a national priority region. Part of this sum could be used to fund the installation of the waste transporta-tion system.

The presentation of the report from the consulting firms in the summer of 2003 coincided with a decision about the installation of other infrastructures in the region. A large amount of time and expense would be saved if the instal-lation of the waste transportation pipe

network could be coordinated with the

installation of the water and sewage net-

work. It was therefore decided on the

28th November 2003 to invite bids for

the installation of a pneumatic trans-portation system. The order was won

by a consortium consisting of Acciona and Envac.

Not having any first-hand experience of this type of new technology, the project management team decided to engage the services of CLABSA, which had helped Barcelona manage the implementation

of the system some years before.

excellent accessibility for residentsThe design of the underground waste collection system in Valdespartera allows for two separates inlets, one for packa-

ging material and one for mixed waste,

to be located in the courtyards with an

Carlos Bernad, Regional president of Envac South Europe together with the Mayor of Saragossa, Juan Alberto Bell, and the Swedish Ambassador in Spain Mr Anders Rönquist at the inauguration ceremony of the Envac system in Ecociudad Valdespartera in February 2007.

average of 25 households per inlet.

Twelve collection points, with two

inlets each, were also located along the

pavements for the single-family houses

in the area. In addition, underground

tanks were installed at 69 locations

for the disposal of paper/cardboard

and glass.

recycling centre in the terminalA 13-kilometre-long network of

pipes, divided into two systems, links

the inlets to the collection terminal.

The system design also provides the

capability for managing organic food

waste as a separate material at a later

stage. All other types of waste, such

as electronics, bulky and hazardous

waste, can be deposited at a 2,500 m2

recycling station, which is housed in

the collection station.

The Valdespartera area has been desig-

ned to accommodate 9,687 homes,

with 5,773 being constructed in the

first two phases and 3,914 in phase

three. As well as residential properties,

the area will include many commercial

properties that will also be connected

to the waste transportation system.

The commercial properties are expec-

ted to account for approximately 43

percent of the total volume of waste

managed by the system. It is estimated

that some 21,514 tonnes (11,604 ton-

nes in the first two phases and 9,910

in phase three) will be generated each

year by residents and commercial ope-

rations in the area.

1� 13

excellent protection from the wind and optimum collection of solar energy in the courtyards. Other sustainable principles included separate water systems (for drinking and washing, and for rainwater and waste water) and the choice of recycled materials for park benches, street lighting, playgrounds etc.

Perhaps the most significant innovation that was introduced, however, was the installation of an information system that manages all public operations statistics plus individual comfort and energy consumption data in one single system. It is anticipated that this system will reduce operational costs and help cut energy consumption. It is also hoped that this will support the primary objective of this project - the creation of a role model for the development of innovative and sustainable urban

districts.

Bioclimatic principlesThe criteria for sustainability in the development of the area were laid down at the very start.

• It was stated in the Urban Development Plan that the orientation of the buildings would be planned to achieve maximum solar energy collection, and also create windbreaks and sheltered spaces that enhance the residential environment.

• The architectural design of the buildings would allow for the incorporation of solar cells and facades that could act as passive thermal buffers.

• Priority was given to materials that provide good insulation and longevity.

This resulted in a rectangular network of streets in which the buildings stretched in an east to west direction, facing south and with a space of thirty meters between each one. This provides

social and environmental break throughAfter four years of intensive work, tenants started moving in during the first three months of 2007. That also meant that the waste system had successfully completed all the preliminary tests. At the inauguration of the system, Juan Alberto Bell, the mayor of Saragossa, declared that “the residents will be extremely satisfied with this state-of-the-art technology that has already proved itself in many towns and cities”. “Furthermore, it will signify a social and environmental

breakthrough for this project.”

Envac is well aware of the vital role its system plays in creating a sense of comfort in the area and therefore organises regular campaigns to keep the residents updated with information. The objective is to increase the separation of waste at source and thereby reduce the volumes of waste and increase recycling.

Envacs inlets in environmental area Valespartera.

1�

dUBai

100 tonnes of food waste a day requires very efficient handling

Emirates Flight catering company is solely responsible for providing catering services to more than one hundred airline companies, every day, around the clock, at dubai interna-tional Airport. with over 5,000 staff and a peak capacity of 175,000 meals a day in two facilities, this represents a con-siderable logistics challenge, especially with regards to waste management.

The team at Emirates Flight Catering

is responsible for one of the largest

flight catering operations in the world.

All meals produced are individually

prepared. This is partly because each

airline wants to have its own meals, but

there are other considerations too, such

as individual requests and medical, ideo-

logical and religious reasons. Planning is

further complicated by constant changes

in passenger numbers, departure and

arrival delays, aircraft changes, weather,

and many other time-critical factors.

price pressure and tough customer demandsThe flight catering business is also

facing increased pressure as a result of

rising fuel prices and financial pressure

on airlines. The tempo is fast at the flight catering facility in Dubai. During the peak period “rush hours”, the cate-ring teams have less than three hours to empty an incoming aircraft and stock it with new equipment, replenished

beverages and fresh catering.

The work is made even more challeng-

ing by the extreme temperatures in the

region, especially during the hot sum-

mer months. Flight catering operations

are subject to the most stringent hygiene and quality standards, including the flight industry’s own HACCP standards and ISO 9000 quality assurance stan-dards, as well as the airline companies’

own quality requirements.

© The Emirates Flight Catering

1�

Waste management is criticalAn essential part of this gigantic logis-

tics puzzle is waste management. The

waste created during the production of

meals and from incoming flights has to

be disposed of quickly, safely and hygie-

nically. It would be unthinkable to deal

with this amount of waste manually.

For more than two decades, Envac has

been designing kitchen waste systems

for practically every major airport in the

world.

During the production of meals, about 2,5 litres of waste are created per meal and an average of 1,25 litres of waste come back from incoming flights. This means that each meal creates a total of almost five litres of waste. That waste has to be dealt with, and for Emirates Flight Catering, this means almost 100 tonnes of waste every day.

Envac is the supplier of the waste systems used at both flight catering faci-lities at Dubai International Airport:

• The first system was up and running

in 2004 and has a total capacity for

60,000 meals with Envac’s system

handling the food waste from incoming

flights only.

• The new system became operational

in June 2007 and has a capacity for

115,000 meals per day, with Envac’s

system handling waste from the

production of meals and from incoming

flights.

The waste system for the new facility is divided into three sub-systems:1. A system with 200 mm pipes for waste from the trays from wash lines 1-4

2. A system with 200 mm pipes for waste from the trays from wash lines 5-8

3. A system with 200 and 300 mm pipes for waste from meal production with two carousels for 60 litre sacks. There are also screw feeders in the food preparation kitchen and in the staff canteen, a waste grinder for more bulky waste and two chutes with water drainage screws for packages.

John Earnshaw is the Assistant Vice President of Flight Catering Operations

The team at Emirates Flight Catering is responsible for one of the largest flight catering operations in the world. © The Emirates Flight Catering

Emirates Flight Catering is extremely satisfied with their Envac waste systems. “The fact that we commissioned Envac to build the waste system for our new flight catering facility is full proof that we have great confidence in this technology.

The systems work extremely well and play a key role in ensuring that our operations remain efficient,” John Earnshaw, Head of Flight Catering Operations at Dubai International Airport concludes.

© The Emirates Flight Catering

1�

ABU dhABi

chinA

dEnMArk

dUBAi

FrAncE

itAly

korEA

MAlAysiA

norwAy

portUgAl

singAporE

spAin

swEdEn

thE nEthErlAnds

Uk

QAtAr

we have offices in the following countries.For detailed contact information, please visit www.envac.net

EnvAc AB, sE-117 84 stockholm, sweden visitors: Bryggvägen 16tel: +46 (0)8 775 32 00

info@envac.se, www.envac.net

EnvAc hEAd oFFicE