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Dubai: More than 6,300 volunteers remove 11,300 kg of waste during clean up drive

Campaign is 'shining example' of community engagement, says Minister of Climate Change and Environment

A total of 11,300 kg of waste material was collected by more than 6,300 volunteers during the ‘Clean UAE’ campaign held in Dubai.

Organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Ministry Community Development, the fourth leg of the drive was held in Saih Al Salam.

Following the successes at the previous legs in Ajman, Fujairah and Sharjah, EEG in association with Dubai Municipality, management of Saih Al Salam protected area, Dubai Economy and Tourism opened four sites at the Saih Al Salam.

The drive coincided with the International Volunteer Day and the continuation of the UAE National Day celebrations.

Wearing campaign t-shirts and caps, equipped with reusable cotton gloves and biodegradable bags, as many as 6,395 volunteers flocked to the Saih Al Salam area in the early hours of the morning.

Cleaning an area of 10 sqkm, they collected 11,300 kg of waste material from four sites. After removing recyclables, the rest was handed over to the municipality for further processing and disposing. The segregated recyclable materials were uploaded on EEG trucks and sent to the recycling facilities in the UAE.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, along with other officials from the government and private sectors, actively participated in the campaign. The minister said the campaign is a “shining example” of community engagement in a noble mission.

“Volunteerism reflects our values in the UAE, and has seen an impressive uptake as an important social practice to give back to the community. We perceive the work of volunteers as an integral part of our efforts to protect the environment and sustain its natural resources, as it raises public awareness of the importance of our fragile ecosystems and engages a wider community in conserving them, in line with the objectives of the government.”

The minister noted that the UAE Cabinet has approved the ‘Clean UAE’ campaign to foster the spirit of volunteerism in the UAE community. Launched on International Volunteer Day, the 10-day campaign aims to enhance the role of federal government employees as well as the general public in cleaning up tourist destinations across the country in line with the World’s Coolest Winter campaign and to support environmental work and the preparations for the 28th UN Climate Conference (COP28).

The minister commended EEG for organising the campaign and for its valuable contributions to environmental protection.

Habiba Al Mar’ashi, co-founder and chairperson, EEG, noted the campaign has been ongoing since the last 20 years with a single message that environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility.

“EEG has been at the forefront in driving strategies and campaigns that align directly with UAE’s move towards ‘circularity’. The aim of the leadership is to reduce landfill waste to zero by 2030, it is an ambitious one but we are confident that strides achieved through this campaign are very much aligned with achieving the set targets and help accelerate UAE’s transition to net zero and sustainable ecosystems.”