As developing nations industrialize and become wealthier and more consumer-oriented, waste problems have taken a centre stage. The impact of population growth and steady economic development in the region has been evident in increased waste generation and growing concerns for proper waste management and disposal practices. As per published reports, the generation of industrial and medical wastes in the GCC, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific are amongst highest in the world.
Cleanco Waste Treatment (CWT) is taking lead on tackling this problem, not only through ‘good’ sustainable practices but also through awareness, education, and training with the hope for making a better tomorrow for the generations to come. Cleanco Waste Treatment is a member of H.E. Yousef Khouri group of companies established in 1980 as a pioneering branded Emirati owned family business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). CWT started its service offerings in 2009 with an Thermal Sterilization unit to treat medical waste from healthcare facilities.
Today, Cleanco Waste Treatment is one of the largest providers of hazardous waste and medical waste management solutions in the region. The organisation is operating and maintaining the largest number of incineration units in the UAE with a total treatment capacity of more than 60 tons per day for incineration alone. CWT is one of the main providers for hazardous waste and medical waste collection, transport, treatment, and disposal services to the public and private sectors including industrial, commercial, institutional and healthcare entities in the region.
Their scope of projects includes the design and building, operation and maintenance, of “state-of-the- art” waste management facilities for the handling of hazardous waste and medical waste in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations to provide for top-tier quality services and achieve sustainable development goals throughout the services sector.
Customer First Approach
Speaking on CWT’s commitment towards its clients, Dr. Khalid Khouri, CEO, Cleanco Waste Treatment says, “Our customers come first. It is the approach embraced by us, dealing with each and every one of our valued 3,000 and more clients,” he highlighted. To make this happen, he said they integrate one of the best professional teams for business development, client relationship management, and customer service, backed up by a collection team driven by a rigid determination to maintain the highest levels of customer satisfaction, aiming for “zero” complaints, in the delivery of their service. CWT ensures that the client has an enhanced customer centric experience which brings the client back ‘again and again’. Accordingly, CWT adopts a proactive approach with its customers, putting them first ‘always’.
Dr. Khouri quotes CWT’s motto, “what can we do to help?” which leads our team to deliver an almost immediate response to any request or concern. CWT is undergoing a digital transformation working on growing its infrastructure as it moves towards enhancing their online presence, for example, to provide for registration and renewal of their services “at the click of a button”, and for optimising their processes, therefore making it easy for their clients to access information regarding their waste generation rates and average trends.
“The goal is always to make it easy for the customer to do business with us and feel that all its service needs are being met by Cleanco Waste Treatment. At the same time, we will utilise best practices worldwide and meet the highest international standards for improving public health and the environment for the generations to come,” Dr. Khalid Khouri, CEO, Cleanco Waste Treatment.
Best Practices
CWT utilizes leading edge technology and Best Available Techniques (BATs) adopting best practices worldwide to make sure that the operations at their many plants and facilities follow European Union (EU) directives, standards, and norms, together with local and federal regulations of the country. “Our plant control systems ensure full automation of the processes with minimal human interference and our data records are continuously ‘monitored and reviewed’ by the respected governmental bodies ensuring that the readings are within the acceptable range allowed,” Dr. Khouri elaborated.
Training and Awareness
“At CWT, we strongly believe that the first step towards ‘good’ waste management is to reduce (if not prevent) the generation of waste in the first place, therefore we conduct awareness workshops and training seminars in order to help our clients design and implement a cost-effective, long-term waste management strategies that helps them reduce their waste generation rates and achieve environmentally sustainable waste management practices at their facilities,” said Dr. Khalid Khouri.
Sustainable Initiatives
A pro-environment organisation from the core, this year, CWT signed an agreement with SirajPower as our partner in Dubai for the provision of a 2 MVA solar diesel-battery solution for its largest facility in the UAE. This distinctive solution will provide reliable power to Cleanco Waste Treatment via a hybrid system consisting of solar PV, diesel generator, and battery. As a result, CWT’s currently diesel-powered Waste Treatment Plant will be able to reduce its fuel consumption, operational expenditures, and carbon footprint to ultimately benefit the UAE’s sustainable vision for 2030. CWT’s revamped hybrid Waste Treatment Plant will produce over 2 GWh of electricity and save 685 tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) whilst supporting the preservation of our natural resources in the UAE.
Professional Affiliations
In their continuous effort to grow their network of affiliations, CWT recently became a member of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), which is an international network of waste professionals and experts alongside the “Chartered Institution of Wastes Management” professional qualification, and the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) has also awarded their ranks to include qualified Certified Hazardous Materials Managers to members of the CWT team.
We will utilise best practices worldwide and meet the highest international standards for improving public health and the environment for the generations to come
Giving Back to the Community
As a family business, CWT aligns its philosophy in the same manner and takes genuine care of the community. The organisation commits to its Corporate Social Responsibility duties and works with several nonprofit organizations and it has signed Memorandums of Understanding as of recent with the “Make a Wish Foundation”, as well as, the “Emirates Thalassemia Society” to support thalassemia concerned communities and help children with this serious genetic disease.
Growth Prospects
CWT, at present, is expanding its scope of offering for its solutions via building more disposal cells as part of its hazardous waste landfill, adding neutralization & redox systems together with evaporation ponds and also solidification & stabilization facilities. This will allow CWT to become a principal provider of ‘Integrated Facilities’ in this field in the region with allin- one solutions for all its clientele needs.
Transfer of Knowledge
At CWT we know that the more we learn the better our chances of success become” and for that we have partnered with BlackForest from Germany and Delta-Tialoc of Belgium-Singapore as our consultants and operators to train and develop our teams and transfer the knowledge to our people on ground. We have partnered with BlackForest Solutions GmbH from Germany and DELTA-EM /TIALOC of Belgium/Singapore as our consultants and operators, respectively to train and develop our teams and transfer the knowledge to our people on ground. “We are proud as an Emirati company to have created local talent in this relatively new field in our region and we can now carry forward in teaching those who are keen on becoming the leaders of tomorrow in this field”, expresses Dr. Khouri.
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