In conversations about smart cities, waste rarely leads the agenda. Yet Alexander Yamine has built his focus precisely there, inside the overlooked systems that move waste through buildings every day.
At CHAB Industrial Company, a UAE-based enterprise with more than five decades of gravity chute engineering history, Yamine is reshaping how vertical buildings handle waste. His work connects legacy mechanical expertise with intelligent, connected systems designed for modern sustainability demands.
A Family Legacy, A Modern Responsibility
Yamine’s entry into the industry began with his father, whose work in waste management manufacturing and consultancy dates back generations. The family established operations in the UAE in 1975.
Growing up around these businesses exposed him to both the strengths and the constraints of traditional mechanical solutions. As cities grew vertically and operational complexity increased, it became clear that older systems could not fully meet modern hygiene, efficiency, and environmental expectations.
Yamine frames his role as an evolution of that legacy rather than a break from it. He views heritage as a foundation, not a ceiling.
Identifying the Industry’s Blind Spot
Waste systems inside buildings often receive minimal attention. Gravity chutes are treated as background utilities rather than active infrastructure.
This “out of sight, out of mind” culture leads to neglected maintenance, limited data visibility, and missed recycling opportunities. Despite waste moving daily through residential and commercial towers, few stakeholders monitor it in real time.
Yamine recognized that the real problem was not simply mechanical. It was structural and behavioral. That insight pushed CHAB to rethink the system entirely.
From Gravity Chutes to Intelligent Systems
CHAB transitioned from traditional chute manufacturing to developing connected, automated waste systems. Instead of simply transporting waste downward, the new systems measure, monitor, and manage it.
The company has filed approximately 13 patents covering mechanical design, automation, safety mechanisms, and digital integration. The strategy centers on building proprietary technology rather than incremental upgrades.
These systems generate building-level data and provide real-time alerts for facility managers. They also introduce smart diverter technology that supports waste sorting at source, improving recycling accuracy and reducing contamination downstream.
Research-Driven Engineering
Research and development guide CHAB’s product design. The company studies how tenants and facility management teams actually use waste systems. Feedback informs system refinement.
The chute ecosystem now includes:
. Real-time operational alerts
. Energy and water efficiency improvements
. Integrated safety and hygiene sensors
. Smart sorting mechanisms
. Digital dashboards tracking waste flow
Yamine emphasizes operational realism. Systems must function efficiently day after day, not just during installation.
Designing for Long-Term Operations
For CHAB, installation marks the beginning rather than the end of the product lifecycle. The company designs with maintenance cycles, cost efficiency, and long-term performance in mind.
Facility managers gain visibility into system performance, allowing predictive maintenance and cost control. This approach extends system lifespan and reduces operational disruptions.
Yamine argues that infrastructure should remain relevant years after handover, not become obsolete through neglect.
Engaging Municipalities and Regulators
Yamine believes building-level waste management remains disconnected from broader urban sustainability frameworks. While utilities have digitized and infrastructure has modernized, in-building waste systems lag behind.
He calls for collaboration between municipalities, regulators, and innovators to introduce traceability at the source, reduce landfill dependency, and align building systems with national sustainability goals.
Waste management, in his view, should begin inside the structure rather than at the landfill.
A Connected Waste Ecosystem
Alexander Yamine’s approach reframes waste management as integrated infrastructure rather than passive disposal. By combining mechanical heritage with patented digital innovation, he positions CHAB as a participant in the broader smart city transition.
His work illustrates a central premise. Sustainable cities depend not only on visible architecture and technology, but also on modernizing the hidden systems that support daily life.
