Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) launched a two-year research project to develop the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorization pilot plant. The facility will process food waste and compostable packaging to produce renewable biogas and nutrient-rich compost. The pilot plant will be located near the UAEU campus in Al Ain and will process up to 40 kg of organic waste per day. The project will run from August 2026 to August 2028, while installation and commissioning are expected to be completed by August 2027.
Pilot faciliy to Combine Anaerobic Digestion and Composting
The integrated facility will combine anaerobic digestion and composting technologies to recover useful resources from organic waste. First, the anaerobic digestion process will break down the organic feedstock and generate renewable biogas. The resulting digestate will then undergo composting to produce nutrient-rich compost. In parallel, researchers will conduct a laboratory-scale study to determine whether the biogas generated through the process can be further converted into renewable hydrogen.
Addressing Food Waste and Packaging Challenges
Food waste accounts for nearly 40% of the UAE’s daily municipal solid waste, with a significant proportion currently going to landfills. At the same time, conventional plastic packaging contaminated with food residues can be difficult to recycle. Therefore, the pilot project will investigate whether food waste and compostable packaging can be processed together. By combining these waste streams, the researchers aim to recover valuable resources while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Research to Assess Technical and Economic Performance
Over the two-year project, researchers will evaluate the technical, environmental and economic performance of the integrated system. The findings will help determine the feasibility of expanding the technology across the UAE and potentially into other markets. The project brings together several organisations, including the Emirates Environmental Group, Hotpack, AW Rostamani Group’s VerraPak, Tadweer Group, the University of Sharjah and Pacogreen.
Developing Local Waste-to-Resource Expertise
Students and researchers from UAEU will participate in the project and gain practical experience in waste-to-resource technologies. This involvement will also help develop local expertise in organic-waste management, resource recovery and circular-economy solutions. Professor Zafar Said Sher, UAEU project lead, said the initiative will evaluate an end-of-life pathway for food waste and compostable packaging while supporting the UAE’s circular economy, food security and Net Zero objectives.
Biorefinery Model Could Support Green Hydrogen
Emirates Biotech Chief Technology Officer Dr. Aman Kulshrestha said the project will test an integrated biorefinery model that converts organic waste into biogas, with potential upgrading to green hydrogen. Meanwhile, the resulting digestate can be converted into compost. This approach could create multiple resource-recovery pathways from a single organic-waste stream and improve the overall value of the process.
Pilot Could Reduce Landfill Emissions
If successfully scaled, the project partners estimate that an integrated organic-waste valorization plant could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 89% compared with conventional landfilling. Ultimately, the pilot is expected to generate technical and operational data on system performance. As reported by fastcompanyme.com, in addition, the results could provide a modular framework for scaling integrated organic-waste valorization across the UAE and potentially other markets.
