Kuwait is facing an escalating waste crisis that activists say demands immediate, systemic change.
As one of the world’s highest per capita producers of organic waste, estimated at 1.4 kilos per person per day, the country is grappling with the environmental, health, and economic toll of a growing mountain of solid, liquid, and gaseous waste.
Environmental leaders warn that without radical, sustainable solutions, Kuwait’s waste problem will continue to worsen. “We need to convert waste into electrical energy,” said Jenan Behzad, Secretary-General of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society. She called for a comprehensive policy shift, from expanding recycling infrastructure to raising public awareness about waste reduction.
Consumption-heavy lifestyles
According to Behzad, Kuwait’s reliance on consumption-heavy lifestyles, weak recycling practices, and continued dependence on landfills have created an unsustainable trajectory.
The country currently uses three primary landfill sites, Jahra, the Seventh Southern Ring Road, and Mina Abdullah, to manage household waste.
However, plastic packaging from supermarkets and restaurants is fuelling a surge in plastic waste, now comprising nearly 80 per cent of floating marine debris, threatening coastal ecosystems.
Food waste, she added, is particularly acute during religious and national holidays. A recent study by the Kuwait Environment Protection Society revealed that food waste can spike significantly during Ramadan, with edible items often discarded in excess. In the Gulf region overall, food waste constitutes around 50 percent of total waste, a staggering figure.
Biofuel production
To combat this, Behzad called for the use of waste-to-energy thermal conversion technology and methane harvesting from organic waste to generate power. She also suggested biofuel production from discarded food, citing successful examples in Germany and Sweden.
“Solid waste contributes to 2.4 per cent of Kuwait’s total greenhouse gas emissions,” she noted, adding that recycling and energy recovery could not only reduce pollution but also diversify the country’s energy sources.
A key part of the solution, she argued, lies in mandatory household and commercial waste sorting.
Separate bins for plastics, paper, metals, and organic waste would improve collection and recycling rates. Behzad also proposed establishing government-run sorting stations in every governorate, with the private sector playing a central role in waste collection, sorting, and investing in recycling ventures.
Despite existing laws, enforcement remains weak. “The Environmental Protection Law imposes fines of up to 500 Kuwaiti dinars for dumping waste in undesignated areas,” she explained. “Yet 58 percent of those surveyed by our society said they were unaware of the law’s details.”
Engineer Alaa Hassan, CEO of the International Petroleum Services Company (PSCO), described the waste issue as “a ticking time bomb.” She criticized the lack of serious planning and pointed to the accumulation of between 8 and 10 million damaged tires annually. These tires, often left in open areas, represent a major environmental hazard. “We must hold illegal dumpers accountable,” she said, urging private sector engagement in converting waste into raw industrial materials.
Environmental activist Barak Ramadan Al Hindal echoed the call for change, emphasizing the untapped financial and employment potential of the recycling sector. He called for a cultural shift in waste management, beginning in homes and schools, extending to offices and hospitals.
“Many countries around the world have transformed waste into opportunity,” Al Hindal said. “Kuwait must follow suit if we are serious about building a sustainable future.”
For now, environmentalists agree that time is running out. Without bold reforms and public buy-in, Kuwait’s waste crisis threatens to outpace the systems designed to manage it, posing long-term risks to the country’s environment, economy, and public health.
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