(MENAFN- The Peninsula) With an increasing number of abandoned vehicles, heavy equipment and machinery in Qatar, several businessmen have suggested the setting up of a recycling industry which could become a promising business sector.
However, they said the development of the recycling industry would not be possible without government support.
Vehicles abandoned in Doha and suburbs not only occupy the limited parking spaces but also hinder traffic. They also become home to insects and stray animals.
The government has set up a committee to address the issue and last year removed over 20,000 abandoned vehicles from across the country.
Until August 2014, authorities had removed over 12,000 vehicles, including about 10,000 from Industrial Area - home to most garages in the country.
"With the rapid growth of the economy, the number of abandoned vehicles is also going up, which requires an integrated strategy. We need to invest and exploit these abandoned resources," Hamad Saleh Al Haul, member of Central Municipal Council, was quoted as saying by a local Arabic daily.
He said the government can help set up recycling facilities for metals, chemicals, glass and other materials to reuse these valuable resources and should conduct a feasibility study.
The problem of abandoned vehicles has aggravated as the three dumps in Umme Al Haul, Al Mashaaf and Abu Hamour have become full. The government is preparing another dumping site which can accommodate about 12,000 vehicles.
Ahmed Al Khalaf, a Qatari businessman, said: "All kinds of waste pose a threat to the environment so they must be recycled and reused or destroyed.
"Qatari investors can set up recycling facilities provided they get government support, including land near the dumping grounds."
He said the recycling industry for useful products, including scrap and other metals, can become a vibrant industry.
Al Khalaf said in Qatar nearly 300-400 new vehicles are registered daily and about as many abandoned due to various reasons.
However, Rashid Al Dosri, another businessman, expressed reservations about whether the economy can sustain a full-fledged recycling industry in the long-run. No doubt, we have enough scrap and abandoned vehicles, but whether this will support recycling facilities for long is something that must be considered," said Al Dosri.
Rashid Al Marri, another businessman, said an annual international exhibition should be held to auction scrap and other recyclable waste.
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