On November 14, 2010 it will not only be on the Yas Marina Circuit that things will be speeding through corners and accelerating along straights. Six feet below the Formula 1 TM cars and spectators, the empty food wrappers, drinks containers and discarded magazines that litter many a sporting event will be hygienically whisked away through a series of vacuum sealed pipes, at up to 75km/h.
The Yas Island automated vacuum waste management system, consisting of 43 inlet points, 5.3km of pipes and capable of handling nearly 40 tonnes of waste every day, services the whole of this major new leisure and entertainment destination, including the Formula 1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit, Ferrari World, seven hotels and the marina.
Compared to the dirt and noise created by waste trucks slowly making their way along their routes, this system, the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi, provides a solution that saves up to 90% of truck journey times, greatly reducing CO2 emissions and making the local environment a healthier and more pleasant place to be.
Motors at the collection stations create the vacuum that ‘sucks’ the waste through the tubes to be compacted and sorted, from where it is finally transported to an off-site waste facility. While this part of the process requires waste trucks, the compaction process ensures each one carries 2-3 times the amount of waste of conventional pick-ups.
This system has been installed and is operated by Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s leading property development, management and investment company, and the Centre for Waste Management Abu Dhabi. Similar vacuum systems are already being used by residents across the water from Yas Island at the waterfront Al Raha Beach development at Al Bandar and will soon be operational at Aldar HQ.
H.E Hamad Al Amiri, General Manager, the Centre of Waste Management - Abu Dhabi explained the new system that was being used on Yas Island: "Unlike conventional waste management strategies, which use trucks on daily pick-up routes, domestic waste is deposited by hand at one of the convenient and hygienic inlet points, which provide separate chutes for recyclable and non-recyclable materials. The waste, thus separated, is transported at around 75 km/h through underground pipes to a central collection point. The waste is then compressed and removed to a waste facility run by the Centre, where it is further sorted for recycling or disposed of in the landfill."
Sami Asad, Chief Executive Office, Aldar Properties, commented: "With the convenience of a central compressed waste store, our initial studies show that for every 30km the trucks drive along conventional pick-up routes, now they will travel only 1km.The unsightly trucks are removed from the environment, massively reducing CO2 emissions and decreasing congestion and the possibility of road accidents. This, plus the additional environmental health benefits of having the waste vacuum-sealed away at all times, makes the system the best available long-term solution for our residents and tenants."
