12. Responsible Consumption and Production

The university, represented by the College of Engineering, concluded the scientific sessions of the First International Conference on Natural Resources Sustainability: Sustainable Solid Waste Management, which was organized by the college over two days at the university city. The conference was held under the patronage of His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Dawood, President of the university, and was attended by 36 speakers covering all aspects of this scientific gathering. The conference aims to explore the necessary procedures for transitioning to sustainable solid waste management systems. The specialized scientific sessions of the conference discussed a number of the latest scientific papers, research, and studies related to all conference themes and how to benefit from them.

Engineer Mohammed bin Muzahim Al-Mutairi, who holds an Executive Master's degree in Municipal Policies and Urban Development from King Saud University, and Dr. Walid bin Saad Al-Zamil, Assistant Professor in the Urban Planning Department at King Saud University, presented a research paper on mechanisms for rationalizing food consumption for Saudi households as an input for food waste management in the Kingdom. The paper discussed the national vision's pursuit of improving the urban infrastructure of Saudi cities and enhancing the quality of municipal services by developing policies for managing and controlling urban development. Solid municipal waste management is one of the challenges facing major city administrations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Social transformations and economic and population growth over the past three decades have affected food consumption patterns of Saudi households, accompanied by an increase in the volume of waste generated.

A research paper was also presented on effective waste management through the promotion of reusable packaging, presented by Dr. Ahmed bin Babader, a consultant at Responsible Performance Company (SARP). He spoke about how waste is an old dilemma for the environment and communities, and that packaging waste must be dealt with as part of all waste. The paper aimed to propose an integrated method for reducing the amount of packaging waste by promoting reusable packaging in communities and industries, and a conceptual framework was designed through a review of relevant literature.

The scientific sessions also discussed a research paper titled “A Hierarchical Strategic Approach to Food Loss and Waste Management for the Transformation of the Kingdom into a Circular Economy,” presented by Dr. Nuh Muath from the College of Engineering at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. He stated that the concept of the bioeconomy has been a global trend in recent decades, aligning with a suitable and sustainable approach to solid waste management, with a particular focus on organic and food components. He noted that food loss and waste management globally has been a problem posing significant challenges to sustainable development in many countries, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A large number of socioeconomic factors are largely responsible for the enormous volume of food loss and waste (FLW), which challenges the achievement of sustainable development goals.

A research paper titled “Environmental and Financial Analyses of Waste Management Options in Madinah City,” presented by Dr. Abdul Qadir, an associate professor at the College of Engineering at the Islamic University of Madinah, was also reviewed. The paper addressed solid waste management options that require the integration of economic and environmental principles to select the best management method. This study analyzed the management and composition of solid waste (MSW) and its collection in the Madinah region, as one of the largest cities in Saudi Arabia, with the aim of finding the least costly management method.

Dr. Mohammed Sharik, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India, Ashray Saxena, Master's student, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, and Sarosh Suleiman, undergraduate student, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Hanover, presented a paper on age-dependent mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete containing industrial waste: A Clean and Sustainable Solution, in which they emphasized that concrete has become one of the most consumed materials after water due to its widespread use in the construction industry globally with an estimated 25 billion tons of concrete used annually in construction, in India alone generating 165 -175 million demolition waste per year, most of this waste goes to landfills and creates disposal issues, the use of recycled aggregates in concrete construction can save natural resources, the use of recycled aggregate and industrial waste in concrete construction not only solves disposal issues, but also solves the environmental issues associated with it.

A scientific paper titled "Evaluating the Economic Efficiency of Canadian Solid Waste Management Systems," presented by Dr. Ghulam Kabir, Associate Professor of Industrial Systems Engineering at the University of Regina, Canada, and Dr. Kelvin T. W. Ng, Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering at the University of Regina, Canada. They discussed sustainable and integrated solid waste management, which has become a critical issue in communities worldwide due to rapid urbanization and population growth. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of waste-to-energy systems for non-hazardous waste, considering economic outputs, expenses, profits, and business volumes for both public and private waste services.

A paper titled "Mandatory Aspects of Sustainable Waste Management in the MENA Region," presented by Attar Mohammed, Safwat Humaidat, Abdullah Nassour, Wa'el Shaaban, and Michael Nelles, was also reviewed. It addressed Solid Waste Management (SWM) as one of the major challenges facing developing countries, acknowledging that providing adequate waste management services is crucial due to the potential impact on public health and the environment. There are a number of key obstacles facing municipal solid waste management in the MENA region, including population growth in urban centers, lack of planning, lack of proper disposal, limited collection service, use of inappropriate technology, and insufficient funding.

Dr. Faisal Ahmed, Assistant Professor at the College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture at Umm Al-Qura University, presented a paper titled "Characterization of Solid Waste in Makkah Al-Mukarramah." He stated that a characterization of the solid municipal waste currently in Makkah Al-Mukarramah was conducted to assess its suitability for various waste treatment technologies. He explained that the prevalence of open dumping and the lack of reliable data on waste generation and characterization have created a difficult situation for the local urban authorities responsible for managing the solid waste generated in the city. The study analyzed solid municipal waste samples collected from streets in different locations at different times throughout the year to determine their physical properties. The physical properties indicated that the solid municipal waste is rich in biodegradable materials, with average rates of: 47% organic matter, 25% plastic, 20% paper and cardboard, 4% metals, 2% glass, 1% textiles, and 1% wood.

And also a study on the characteristics of household waste in the city of Buraidah, the first entry to good waste management, by Professor Ibrahim bin Saleh Al-Rubaidi, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the university, and Dr. Adel Al-Tayeb Abdulnour, Assistant Professor in the Plant Production Department at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the university, which discussed solid household waste that differs in its characteristics and components according to many conditions, including the number of family members, the nature of consumption, the size of the house, and the income level, and concluded by identifying a waste footprint.

A paper was presented on the evaluation of the potential of natural zeolite and biochar in the biotransformation of the organic fraction of solid waste into organic fertilizers. The research addressed the evaluation of adding natural zeolite found in Saudi Arabia, weed waste, and biochar (10 and 15%) to food waste for the purpose of producing compost. Compost quality was evaluated in terms of typical stability indicators such as moisture content, organic matter degradation, changes in total carbon, and variations in nitrogen components. The results showed that both amendments had a positive impact on food waste compost in terms of all maturity parameters.

Radwan Al-Masri, a university engineering professor, Hussein Haidar, an assistant professor at the university's College of Engineering, Mohammed Raad, and Aber Mohammed from the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Al-Baath University in Syria, presented a scientific paper on evaluating a hybrid solar thermal and biomass energy system as a source for hot water supply, given the increase in per capita electricity consumption in Saudi Arabia from 6.11 MW in 2004 to 9.41 MW in 2014.

A research paper on the production of activated carbon based on sludge: a study of characterization, optimization, and adsorption, presented by Mohammed Daoud and Mohammed Al-Malak from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, was reviewed. The paper discussed the use of sewage sludge to produce activated carbon using chemical activation method with different chemical agents including zinc chloride, potassium hydroxide, and phosphoric acid.

A paper on the use of solid organic waste in the production of activated carbon and its application in the adsorption of dyes and heavy metals was presented by Abdullah Ba Saleh and Mohammed Almark from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. The paper addressed the problem of producing large quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually, with a total local solid waste production of approximately 17 million metric tons per year, containing two main components: plastic and organic waste. Organic waste represents about 79%, with food waste being the primary source of the organic fraction. The common practice for managing solid organic waste is incineration or landfilling, which causes numerous environmental problems. Therefore, converting it into activated carbon in an alternative way can be a practical solution.

And through the paper "Sustainable curriculum for clean renewable energy recovery from solid waste" presented by Arooba Qadir, a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, and Yasir Hassan, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, on integrated solid waste management and the need to mitigate its harmful environmental burden and associated social and health risks, as waste reduction, recycling, and recovery are key components of integrated solid waste management.

A research paper on solid waste treatment through anaerobic digestion for the production of organic fertilizer and biogas. It discussed how local solid waste (municipal) such as food waste, animal manure, and sewage sludge requires proper and environmentally acceptable management before final disposal. It is a major source of air and water pollution, and the generated energy as biogas and high-quality fertilizer can be harnessed. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of producing biogas and methane from food waste and animal manure in the first experiment, and in the second, to produce biogas and methane from sludge and animal manure through a co-digestion system under mesophilic conditions.

A research paper was discussed on the impact of recycling rubber scrap on sustainable development and environmental improvement, which indicated that waste management is a major concern in improving the environment and sustainable development of any country. However, critics of waste management tend to believe that recycling may offer little benefit to the environment, pointing out that the energy used to obtain recyclable materials might exceed what the recycling process saves. Although waste from old rubber, particularly old tires (scrap), is appearing in many waste streams, available data shows reasonable environmental performance for recycling regarding energy demand, depletion of natural resources, and the economic perspective.

A geophysical study was also presented on the impact of the Al-Muaisem landfill on groundwater to develop options for constructing its engineering cover. This study was presented by Turki Musfer Al-Aboud, an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at the College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University. He explained that in order to preserve the environment, protect groundwater, and manage waste, the Secretariat of the Holy Capital intends to cover and close the old landfill in the Al-Muaisem area with an engineering cover that prevents rainwater from reaching the landfill's interior, mixing with its components, and affecting the quality of groundwater in nearby valleys. To preserve the aerobic environment, it plans to establish a gas collection network and consider the possibility of using it for energy production. Therefore, this research aims to study the impact of the landfill on the region's groundwater and identify the extent of pollution in the nearby valleys.