What does the law say?
The law mandates that all public and private entities—including those in the food and hospitality industries—measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This includes emissions from food waste, which is a major contributor to methane, a potent Greenhouse Gas.
Key requirements relevant to food waste producers include:
- Mandatory emission reduction targets: the UAE Cabinet will set annual emission reduction targets. Local authorities will then develop sector-specific plans to meet these goals.
- Monitoring and reporting: businesses must implement systems to track and report emissions, including those from food waste disposal.
- Penalties for non-compliance: failure to comply with these requirements could result in fines or other enforcement actions.
Why food waste matters
Food waste doesn’t just disappear. When sent to landfill, it decomposes anaerobically, releasing methane gas—a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than CO₂ over a 100-year period. This means, this gas traps more heat in our atmosphere as CO₂ is doing, causing weather extremes such as increased heat and long draughts. In a country like the UAE, where food imports are high and water is scarce, wasting food also means wasting embedded energy, water, and resources. As food waste touches most businesses, every business has now the choice to act on this polluter.
A new opportunity: on-site solutions for local food waste processing
At The Waste Transformers, we believe this law is not just a challenge—it’s an opportunity. Our on-site biodigesters transform food waste into renewable energy and liquid natural fertilizer, ideal for irrigating arid landscapes like public parks and palm-lined boulevards. The fertilizer is certified by the Dutch government and proven to replace chemical fertilizers.
By processing food waste where it’s produced, businesses can:
- Reduce emissions at the source
- Avoid transport and landfill costs
- Generate clean energy for their own operations
- Contribute to local greening efforts with nutrient-rich fertilizer
The bigger picture for municipalities
A bigger picture of replicating on-site biodigesters show how cities can harvest non-contaminated food waste streams from their inhabitants and businesses on-site. With local Waste Transformers biodigesters at strategic points inside urban areas, it positively impacts the city’s waste management capacities where food waste is responsible for over 50% of total waste streams send to landfill. By following the certified process steps inside a Waste Transformer biodigester, the natural fertilizer produced is qualified and can be assessed to become a local certified liquid fertilizer. With a balance nutrient mix and mostly water, this fertilizer can directly and daily applied to public parks and grass, reducing the reliance on fresh water pumped from groundwater sources and tells a circular green story to the world.
What can you do now?
If you operate a supermarket, hotel, shopping mall, or large catering service, here are a few steps to get started:
- Audit your food waste: understand how much you’re generating and where it’s coming from.
- Engage with local authorities: learn about the specific targets and reporting requirements in your region.
- Explore on-site solutions: consider technologies like biodigesters that align with the law’s goals and reduce your carbon footprint and bring back the nutrients to the soil.
- The food waste processed in our biodigester undergo a full biological process, whereas food waste dehydrators or 24hr fast ‘composters’ do not biologically stabilize the food waste, leading to limited to harmful nutrient availability in the end product.
- Train your staff: ensure your team understands the importance of food waste separation, reduction and valorization.
Sources: Water Environment Federation, Columbia University’s Earth Engineering Center, Oklahoma State University Extension.
Final thoughts
The UAE’s climate law is a next step toward a more sustainable future. For food waste producers, it’s a call to action—and a chance to lead. By rethinking how you handle food waste, your business can turn a liability into a resource, and compliance into climate leadership.
