Follow Your Waste” tour highlights commitment to responsible recycling and waste management
KAUST FM recently underscored its strong commitment to environmentally responsible waste management through an enlightening educational initiative. On November 9, 2023, KAUST’s Facilities Management organized a “Follow your Waste” tour to visit their recycling partner, NAPCO’s plastic industrial facility in Jeddah. This field trip was attended by stakeholders in our waste management program, including the Sustainability Office, Community Life, HSE, Student representatives, and Facilities Management. During the event, attendees were guided through NAPCO’s plastic industrial facility by the operational team, providing detailed explanations for each step involved in recycling plastic generated by KAUST and other customers.
The “Follow Your Waste” tour demonstrated to the participants KAUST FM’s unwavering dedication to responsible plastic recycling and their commitment to the safety, well-being, and environmental sustainability of their community. With the continued support of stakeholders, FM remains steadfast in its mission to protect the environment while promoting recycling and sustainability for all residents of KAUST.
How plastic recycling works at KAUST?
KAUST residents place plastic waste and other recyclable materials into the ‘Mixed Recycling’ container. Facilities Management Waste Management team services the mixed recycling container and carries out further sorting of mixed recyclables. Plastic is separated into various types (by material) such as PET, HDPE, PP, etc. Plastic is then compressed into bales to aid in storage and transportation. All these processes happen at the Recycling Center located beside Discovery Square. Once storage capacity is reached, plastic is shipped to our recycling partner, ‘Napco National CJSC’ facility in Jeddah.
At the facility, received plastic is weighed and further segregated by polymer family and color to ensure premium applications. Quality checks are also carried out to ensure the quality of the scrap. After the initial processing, scrap is forwarded for further processing, which includes shredding, washing, dirt removal, and drying. At the end of the process, plastic scrap is transformed into high-quality recycled plastic granules (resins). This recycled resin can be further used in the production of plastic films, thermoforming sheets, garbage bags, bitumens, drip irrigation pipes, injection molding grates, and pallets. This initiative not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also diverts plastics from landfills.
To learn more about plastic recycling at KAUST, watch this video, click here.
Did you know?
KAUST recycles approximately 40 tons of plastic materials annually, with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) being one of the most commonly recovered plastic types at KAUST.
In alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) unveiled plans in October 2017 to establish The Saudi Recycling Company as a government enterprise for waste management. NAPCO supports and manages investments in domestic recycling projects in collaboration with private-sector companies as KAUST.