Saudi Arabia Invests $3.2B to Recycle 35M Tons by 2030

Saudi Arabia just launched one of the world's most ambitious plastic recycling transformations, backed by $3.2 billion in government funding and cutting-edge technology that could eliminate 90% of landfill waste by 2035.

The Kingdom currently generates nearly 7 million tons of plastic waste each year. Instead of treating this as a problem, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative sees it as an opportunity to build a thriving green economy worth $728 million within a decade.

The Saudi Investment Recycling Company is leading the charge with facilities across 65 cities that will process 35 million tons annually by 2030. These state-of-the-art plants in Riyadh and Jeddah already handle over 2 million tons per year while creating thousands of engineering jobs.

The technology powering this transformation is remarkable. SABIC's TRUCIRCLE program produces certified circular plastics from waste using advanced chemical recycling, turning materials once destined for landfills into high-quality packaging. This breakthrough works on mixed and contaminated plastics that traditional recycling can't handle.

AI is making the process even more efficient. Researchers deployed machine learning systems that identify different plastic types with 95% accuracy, eliminating sorting errors that plagued older facilities. Smart bins across cities now monitor fill levels in real time and predict optimal pickup schedules, cutting fuel costs by 25%.

The results are already visible. SABIC partnered with Aramco and TotalEnergies to process plastic waste into oil at the SATORP refinery, currently producing 12,330 barrels daily with projections to reach 124,310 barrels by 2060. That's turning trash into energy on an industrial scale.

The government isn't just building facilities. New regulations ban single-use plastics and require waste sorting at the source, while the Green Building Code mandates recycled materials in public construction projects. These policies transformed recycling from an optional good deed into a business requirement.

The Ripple Effect

This initiative creates benefits far beyond waste reduction. The new recycling industry is generating thousands of skilled jobs for engineers and technicians throughout the Kingdom. Communities that once struggled with overflowing landfills now see modern facilities processing waste cleanly and efficiently.

The technology developed here is positioning Saudi Arabia as the Middle East's circular economy hub. NEOM's cutting-edge automated facilities set new benchmarks that neighboring countries are watching closely. By 2035, the program will prevent 4.1 million tons of CO2 emissions annually while composting 1.3 million tons of biodegradable waste.

International partnerships are accelerating progress. Organizations like Plastic Bank optimized collection routes using AI algorithms, boosting recycling rates across the Kingdom's vast geography. These collaborations prove that environmental challenges unite countries rather than divide them.

Saudi Arabia proves that ambitious environmental goals backed by serious investment can transform entire industries in less than a decade.