DUBAI: Under the esteemed patronage of H.H. Engr. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) proudly celebrated the 27th Annual Emirates Recycling Awards on World Environment Day. This year’s event, held at Dubai Knowledge Park, brought together a diverse audience representing academic institutions, government bodies, private enterprises, the diplomatic corps, families, and the media.
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In her opening remarks, EEG Co-Founder and Chairperson, Habiba Al Mar’ashi, highlighted the significance of this year’s World Environment Day theme, “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration,” focusing on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. “This theme underscores the urgent need to restore our degraded lands, combat desertification, and enhance our resilience to drought, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all,” said Al Mar’ashi.
Mrs. Al Mar’ashi also emphasised the UAE’s commitment to sustainability, noting the designation of 2024 as the Year of Sustainability and the strategic direction to ban single-use packaging materials. She urged all attendees to minimise the use of single-use items and actively work towards improving the health of our planet.
The Emirates Recycling Awards serve as a platform to recognise exceptional achievements in waste management and recycling. This year, the awards celebrated the significant environmental benefits achieved through EEG’s recycling campaigns, including substantial reductions in CO2 emissions, energy conservation, and preservation of natural resources.
During the ceremony, Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi announced that over the past year, the Emirates Environmental Group successfully collected 1,624,222 kilograms of waste through various collection and recycling campaigns. This impressive total includes 28,906 kilograms of aluminum cans, 1,245,769 kilograms of paper, 154,064 kilograms of plastic, 151,258 kilograms of glass, 23,734 kilograms of electronic waste, and 7,495 kilograms of scrap metal. Additionally, the group collected 7,150 pieces of toner cartridges and 5,846 pieces of mobile phones.
Below are the Winners in Each Category:
Winners of paper collection campaign: Latifa School for Girls (academic institution), Nia Treeza Tony (individual/family), FedEx Express Internation B.V. (company/institution)
Winners of plastic collection campaign: Our Own High School – Dubai (academic institution), Maryam Humaidan (individual/family), Abela & Co (company/institution)
Winners of aluminium cans collection campaign: Our Own High School – Dubai (academic institution), Aarika Ajesh (individual/family), Emirates Flight Catering (company/institution)
Winners of glass collection campaign: Sheikha Hissa Bint Saqr Private School (academic institution), Shamsa Nasir Al Zaabi (individual/family), Five Holdings (company/institution)
Winners of mobile phones collection campaign: Our Own High School – Dubai (an academic institution), Rose Vincent (individual/family), the Public Prosecution Office – Dubai (company/institution)
Winners of printer toner collection campaign: Pavan Jolly Pratheesh (individual / family), Joyalukkas Jewellery (company / institution)
Winners of e-waste collection campaign: Delhi Private School Dubai (academic institution), Nia Treeza Tony (individual / family), Two Seasons Hotel & Apartments (company / institution)
Winners of scrap metals collection campaign: Ali Darwish Mubarak Salim Al Zaabi (individual/family), Marco Polo Hotel (company/institution)
The event also featured the Art from Waste exhibition sponsored by Accenture Middle East, showcasing extraordinary art pieces crafted from recyclable materials by students. The exhibition, upscaled into a standalone competition, honored the most innovative and creative projects.
Mrs. Al Mar’ashi extended her gratitude to the event’s silver sponsors, McDonald’s UAE and Acer, as well as the distinguished supporters and entities whose contributions made the celebration possible. She also thanked Dubai Knowledge Park for their gracious hospitality.
Mrs. Habiba expressed her gratitude for the commitment of the supporting entities, which included the event host – Dubai Knowledge Park, silver sponsors – McDonald’s UAE and Acer and in-kind support sponsors –
Almarai
Ariston
Brother International
Del Monte Foods (UAE) FZE
Dubai Holding Entertainment
ITL Cosmos
Nikai Group of Companies
Stanley Black & Decker
as well as a selection of hotels who presented different vouchers to host the winners in their hotels.
In closing, Mrs. Al Mar’ashi called on everyone to commit to sustainable lifestyles, prioritising the preservation of natural resources and promoting a thriving bio-capacity. “Together, let’s continue to support initiatives that contribute to a greener and healthier world,” she urged.
