Waste — something that we all produce in different sort of ways. Some people produce too much and some only a little, but at the end of the day we all do accumulate some amount of waste.

The increasing amount of waste being produced around the world is a serious problem and a major threat to the environment. Animals are losing their homes to make room for landfills. Trash incinerators emit carbon dioxide, adding to the already critical buildup of greenhouse gases and exacerbating global warming. We?re polluting water sources and wild environments with our careless litter, making once natural habitats hostile for our precious wildlife.

 Garbage and man-made waste is not new. Our nomadic ancestors produced waste like bones, animal skins, and other organic materials. However, what waste they created was biodegradable, so it broke down and returned to the soil with no harm done. Decomposition is the process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler matter. The waste we produce now, is non-biodegradable and it takes forever to decompose posing a threat to the environment as it causes more pollution.

 The UAE has one of the highest waste generation rates, with each person in the country estimated to produce from 1.9kg to 2.5kg of waste everyday. Dubai alone generates 8,200 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, according to figures released in 2016.

 To put an end to this issue the government of UAE decided to levy a tax on the amount of waste a company produces. The Dubai Municipality will apply fees for the disposal of general waste, unwanted materials such as papers, tapes, CDs, etc.

There will also be a fee for hazardous and medical waste treatment, depending on the quantity of waste produced by the company.

 The tax aims to encourage all categories and segments of the society to enhance the culture of sorting waste from the source and increase the quantity and quality of recycled materials.

 I believe this tax should also be imposed on other countries all around the world as the amount of waste we produce is gradually increasing daily. If a tax is levied then companies and firms will reduce the amount waste they produce so they won?t have to pay an extra amount later.

Credit – Gulf News, Khaleej Times