According to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement, the Region generates approximately 10,000 tons of garbage every day. Roughly 55 to 60 percent of this is recyclable plastic, nylons, and paper.
Some 7,500 tons of trash is dumped into its landfills every day, according to official figures from the KRG Ministry for Municipalities and Tourism.
A landfill site in Sulaimani. Photo: Rudaw TV
Years of war and financial crisis has done little to help foster a culture of recycling and conservation. As the economy gets back on track, however, local authorities in Sulaimani have been looking for sustainable solutions.
In May, Sulaimani rolled out a ban on plastic bags, becoming the first province in Iraq to implement such a policy.
“We’ve taken some good steps like bakeries using paper bags. Restaurants should use those materials that pass quality control,” the city’s mayor Said Awat Mohammed told Rudaw.
His office has also called on the KRG to limit the amount of plastic it imports from abroad.
“We urge the government to take all measures to reduce harmful materials to the environment. All residential units in Sulaimani are informed to set an extra rubbish bin to separate plastic materials from garbage,” he added.
Sulaimani wants to lead the way in reducing plastic consumption. Photo: Rudaw TV
Kamal Nuri, who heads up a private sector-run council of Sulaimani residential units, said they will be setting out extra bins for residents to separate their garbage so that reusable, non-biodegradable materials can be recycled.
“We’ve asked for extra bins to separate plastic from garbage. The next step is to separate cartons, glass, and other recyclable materials,” Nuri said.
Kurdistan has just two recycling plants, one in Duhok and another in Akre, but more are in the pipeline as the government plans a Region-wide recycling program.
A facility in Sulaimani is close to being operational and one in Erbil is in the first stages, Newroz Mawlood, Minister for Municipalities and Tourism, told Rudaw in April.
Once they start working, “I dare say in the next two to three years, the whole Kurdistan Region will see recycling facilities operational,” she predicted.
With reporting by Arkan Ali, translation by Sarkawt Mohammed
