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UAE: Meet the 17-year-old student tackling cigarette butt pollution

The young expat discovered that many wrongly view cigarette butts as 'biodegradable and harmless'

In a world where tiny litter often fades from view, 17-year-old Saksham Uboweja is trying to make a change with his initiative, Cygfix. The young expat observed that the issue of cigarette butt pollution is overlooked, and decided to take action. He founded Cygfix to tackle this environmental challenge through impactful awareness campaigns, community cleanups, and innovative recycling strategies.

Saksham, a student at GEMS Modern Academy, embarked on his environmental journey when he noticed a troubling trend during a casual walk in his Villanova neighbourhood in Dubai. "I saw that while larger waste like cans and plastic bags were being picked up, small cigarette butts were accumulating on every street corner," Saksham recalled. "Initially, it was just one or two, but then it grew to 10, 15, and even 30 butts per spot. It wasn't just in my neighbourhood; it was everywhere."

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Despite their small size, cigarette butts are a major environmental issue. "There are around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts littered globally," Saksham told Khaleej Times. "They’re so tiny that they easily escape our attention."

Determined to tackle this problem, Saksham started Cygfix on August 5 last year, with the support of his parents, community members, and classmates. "I began with research to understand why cigarette butts are such a prevalent issue," he explained. "Through my research, I discovered that many people do not even realise that cigarette butts are considered litter. Many think they are biodegradable and harmless."

Saksham's efforts began with raising awareness, targeting groups such as community helpers and school support staff who were largely unaware of the butts' impact. "I spoke to people in labour camps and school support staff, showing them how pervasive this litter is," he said. "I even got our gardener involved in collecting cigarette butts."

The 17-year-old's initiative also includes innovative recycling strategies. "Cigarette butts have a paper filter and a plastic filter," Saksham explained. "The paper can be recycled, and the plastic can be repurposed into things like tires, road materials, or even toys."

Cygfix collects the butts, cleans them, and sends them to eCycleX, a local organisation specialising in cigarette butt recycling. "We’ve collected over 30,000 cigarette butts so far (after one year of operations)," Saksham shared. "It’s a time-consuming process, but it's worth it." These cigarette butts are collected in plastic bottles.

Looking ahead, Saksham plans to expand Cygfix’s impact. "Our goal is to eliminate cigarette butt litter from our environment and promote a circular economy," he said. "We want to continue raising awareness, improving our collection model, and stepping up our community drives."

Community involvement is crucial to Cygfix’s success. "People can volunteer through our website or social media," Saksham said. "Smokers can also help by being aware of proper disposal methods and joining our initiative."

As the new school year begins, Saksham is balancing his academic responsibilities with his environmental efforts. "It will be challenging, especially with college applications coming up," he added. "But we’ve planned ahead and will continue our campaigns with a bit more spacing. The collection model helps maintain a steady flow of cigarette butts even when we can’t organise drives."

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