Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) has said its first construction and demolition waste recycling plant in Saudi Arabia will be operational by the end of July.

Located in Al-Khair in northern Riyadh, the 1.3 million square-metre plant will treat up to 600 tonnes of waste an hour and achieve recycling rates of more than 90 per cent. On an annual basis, the plant will recycle 20 million tonnes of waste dumped and accumulated in vacant plots, as well as 5 million tonnes of waste disposed of in illegal landfills or old sites.

The plant will provide employment opportunities for more than 160 people.

The facility is the first to be developed under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in July 2019 by SIRC, the National Centre for Waste Management and Amanat al-Riyadh for waste management and recycling activities in the capital.

Established by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2017, SIRC plans to develop, own, operate and invest in various activities across all waste types in the kingdom. SIRC's activities are forecast to contribute an estimated SR37bn ($10bn) to Saudi GDP, attracting up to SR6bn of inward investment and creating around 23,000 jobs by 2030.

GEMS acquisition

SIRC said in October last year that it had completed all procedures to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Global Environmental Management Services (GEMS) from Jadwa Waste Management Opportunities Fund.

GEMS operates four facilities in Yanbu, Rabigh, Johfa and Dammam. A fifth plant is under construction in Jubail and is expected to begin operations this year. Preparations for the sixth facility in Jizan have started.

Following its acquisition of GEMS, SIRC said it aims to meet the national recycling target of 85 per cent for industrial and hazardous waste in Saudi Arabia and landfilling the remaining 15 per cent by 2035.

Saudi Arabia recycles around 10 per cent of the 50 million tonnes of total recyclable waste it produces, with 90 per cent diverted to landfills.