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Engineer Nouf Wazir is pictured in front of a waste management facility under construction at the Bee'ah company in Sharjah.
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The UAE, one of the world's top oil exporters, is building the Gulf region's first waste-to-power plants to ease its chronic trash problem and, at the same time, its reliance on gas-fuelled electricity stations.
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Green groups are unconvinced. They say advanced recycling, composting and changing habits amid grossly wasteful rates of consumption would be better for the environment.
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But Ms Wazir argues there are ways to make use of rubbish that cannot be recycled.
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The Sharjah facility is expected to launch this year, burning more than 300,000 tonnes of waste per year to power up to 28,000 homes.