DHAHRAN, 28 March 2007 — Following its contribution to the First Exhibit of Waste Management and Recycling in Riyadh last week, Saudi Aramco launched its second Recycling Awareness Campaign this week at an exhibit near Dhahran’s Core Area. The exhibit runs through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with a Family Day on Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The exhibit was inaugurated by Abdallah S. Jum’ah, president and CEO, and several members of executive management. During a tour of the tent and its 14 display booths, executives said they were impressed by the presentations and efforts of the various departments and companies involved.
“Today, we speak of a new culture that has begun to spread and bear fruit in all aspects,” Jum’ah said. “We have started to witness strong interest to invest in this field, which will reflect positively on the national economy and create more jobs for young Saudis.”
Jum’ah noted that early in its history, Saudi Aramco assumed responsibility for protecting and preserving the environment.
“The main goal of the campaign to instill in everyone in our company and its communities — especially our employees’ families — the value of preserving our natural resources,” he said. “Many of the publications and presentations here are designed to teach children the benefits of recycling and how beneficial it is in their homes and communities.”
Company and private sector exhibitors are participating in the Dhahran exhibit.
One company exhibitor, Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization, displayed medical-waste disposal procedures. Dhahran Utilities Department focused on educating visitors about its water-treatment techniques as well as general water conservation.
Outside participants include the Eastern Province Governorate, Ministry of Water and Electricity and King Faisal University in Dammam.
Students from the university’s Interior Design School displayed several works of art made from wood, recycled newspapers, glass and scrap metal.
Several national companies specializing in reprocessing and waste recycling shared their own efforts and showed visitors how every little bit of waste can be recycled and reused, whether it’s recycling rubber tires into rubber tiles or even reprocessing waste paper into cardboard.
The exhibit is designed to educate the public about disposal methods for plastic, paper, glass and aluminum waste inside the company and within its residential communities and facilities. The event highlights color-coded recycling bins that were introduced last summer. More than 400 company buildings throughout the Kingdom now have the bins.
“The bins affect the community directly,” said Aseel Q. Saadi, Central Community Services recycling coordinator. “They help promote people’s awareness, get them involved and change their habits to make recycling a part of their daily practice.”
Saudi Aramco’s Environmental Protection Department reported the company notched improvements in waste control since new programs began in 1993. Within five years, these programs helped reduce waste by 60 percent at 60 company facilities, and efforts continue to further cut waste.
The department stresses that the company’s waste-control programs have realized great economic, health and environmental benefits by reducing waste-treatment costs, the toxicity of certain types of refuse and the impact of waste on the environment.
The company’s overall waste-control plan won an award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in 2001.
