Article 11 of the Saudi Waste Management Law
المادة 11 من نظام إدارة النفايات · الفصل الثالث: مسؤولية منتج النفاية
The article obliges the waste producer to rationalize resources, reuse products, reduce waste, store it in designated places, and sort what is recyclable, as set by the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على مُنتج النفاية التقيد بالتدابير الآتية:
1- ترشيد استخدام المواد والموارد الطبيعية.
2- إعادة استخدام المنتجات.
3- تقليل النفايات.
4- تخزين النفايات في الأماكن المخصصة لها، وذلك وفقًا لما تحدده اللائحة من اشتراطات.
5- فرز النفايات التي يمكن إعادة استخدامها أو تدويرها؛ وذلك بوضعها في الأماكن المحددة لها بعد إنتاجها. وتحدد اللائحة أنواع هذه النفايات.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 11 explained in plain English
This article sets out the duties of the waste producer, who under Article 1 is any natural or legal person who produces waste classified under the provisions of the Law. He must comply with five measures:
- Rationalizing the use of natural materials and resources.
- Reusing products: that is, reusing materials and resources as far as possible before they are turned into waste, as Article 1 defines it.
- Reducing waste: limiting its production to the lowest possible level.
- Storing waste in the places designated for it, in accordance with the requirements of the Implementing Regulations.
- Sorting waste that can be reused or recycled, by placing it in the places designated for it after it is produced. The Implementing Regulations specify the types of this waste.
The last two measures are more specific than the first three, because they are tied to the requirements of the Implementing Regulations and the types of waste they specify. What exactly must be sorted cannot be known from the article alone, but from the Implementing Regulations.
Article 12 builds on this article, obliging residential and commercial complexes and government administrative bodies, subject to these measures, to contract with a licensed service provider. Article 10 also tasks the Center with issuing the controls and requirements that the waste producer must follow.
If you have a practical case relating to this provision, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental and administrative laws.
Practical example
A restaurant in Jeddah produces daily quantities of cardboard, plastic packaging and food scraps. As a waste producer, it must reduce its waste, store it in the places designated under the requirements of the Implementing Regulations, and sort the recyclable types specified by the Implementing Regulations, placing them in the places designated for them.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 11 of the Saudi Waste Management Law
What are the duties of a waste producer under Saudi law?
Rationalizing the use of materials and resources, reusing products, reducing waste, storing it in designated places, and sorting waste that can be reused or recycled.
Is sorting waste mandatory?
Yes. The waste producer must sort waste that can be reused or recycled by placing it in the places designated for it, and the Implementing Regulations specify the types of this waste.
Who is the waste producer?
Any natural or legal person who produces waste classified under the provisions of the Law.
More articles on Obligations of the Waste Producer
- Article 12
The article obliges residential and commercial complexes and government administrative bodies, subject to the measures in Article 11, to contract with a licensed service provider, as set by the Implementing Regulations.
مع مراعاة ما ورد في المادة (الحادية عشرة) من النظام، على المجمعات السكنية والتجارية والجهات الإدارية الحكومية؛ التعاقد مع مقدم خدمة مرخص له، وذلك وفقًا لما تحدد
- Article 14
The article obliges every producer and importer to bear extended producer responsibility, to achieve financial sustainability of the waste sector on the principle of the circular economy, with procedures set by the Implementing Regulations.
على كل منتج ومستورد، تحمل مسؤولية المنتج الممتدة، تحقيقاً للاستدامة المالية بقطاع إدارة النفايات المبنية على مبدأ الاقتصاد الدائري. وتحدد اللائحة الإجراءات والض
- Article 18
The article obliges the transport service provider, if waste cannot be delivered to its approved destination, to return it to its producer, who bears responsibility for treating and disposing of it under the Implementing Regulations.
على مقدم خدمة النقل -في حال عدم إمكان إيصال النفايات بمختلف أنواعها إلى وجهتها المعتمدة- إرجاعها إلى منتج النفاية ليتحمل مسؤولية اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لمعالجت
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.