A new tracking and monitoring system implemented on waste collection vehicles will come into effect on January 1 next year, Dubai Municipality announced on Tuesday.

Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Saifaie, Director of Waste Management Department at the municipality, said the initiative supports Dubai Governments initiatives on sustainable services in line with international practices and techniques in the field of waste collection. He added that to enhance and develop existing techniques is essential to get the optimum results.

The vehicle tracking system will provide the exact location of the vehicle and the weight of the waste it is transporting, said Saifaie.This is to avoid haphazard and random disposal of municipal waste.

He said many local companies in charge of waste disposal have implemented the new tracking system. However, the municipality will apply this on all companies to unify standards.

Though the tracking system is used globally, Dubai Municipality added a new feature for tighter control over waste. We have added a new feature, which is basically sensors installed in each vehicle to calculate the weight of waste each vehicle is transporting,explained Saifaie. All the data received will show on our screens in the office located in our headquarters.

He also said that, currently, most waste transported is disposed of in the Al Ghusais landfill however, a new landfill will be opening soon in Al Layan area. Municipal waste collection operations in Dubai employ around 350 vehicles.

?With the new tracking system, we can generate enough data that become useful statistics, said Saifaie. Through this, we can calculate the amount of waste generated per area [in terms of weight] and which area generates the most waste in Dubai.

He added that keeping records of vehicle movement around Dubai regulates the location of the waste. Saifaie explained that if a vehicle monitored has transported 2,000 tonnes of waste throughout the day but reaches the landfill with only 1,000 tonnes, the transporter is then questioned about the missing waste.

Again, this is to avoid disposal of waste in non-designated areas, he said. We need to make sure that waste is controlled and disposed of in the landfill.

Saifaie also said that the tracking system can block a vehicle from entering the landfill if it has left the premises of Dubai without authorisation. With municipal solid waste being converted into fuel for vehicles, almost 15,000 waste recycle bins across the emirate and projects focusing on energy generated from solid wastes, the Dubai Integrated Energy strategy aims at reducing demand for energy by 30 per cent as well and accomplishing zero waste by 2030.