Although the recycling industry in the Kingdom started in the late 1970s, officials are still divided on who is responsible for sorting out waste materials. Some hold that individuals and companies should be responsible for this task while others throw the ball in the mayoralties' court. The Department of Waste Dumps and Waste Material Recycling at the Jeddah Mayoralty developed a mechanism through which the Jeddah Recycling Plant could treat and separate waste material including plastic, metal, glass and paper. The mechanism increased the capacity of the factory to 1800 tons a day and work is being done to raise the capacity to 2500 tons a day. Majda Abu Ras, deputy executive director of the Saudi Environmental Society (SENS), told Saudi Gazette that the society aims to raise public awareness of their responsibility to sort out waste material as this will save recycling companies time, money and effort. __
