The Pearl-Qatar marks Earth Hour by unveiling community mural made from recycled products

The Pearl-Qatar, the Middle East’s most innovative urban development, has marked its commitment to environmental sustainability and encouraging the wider community to think about and take action on these issues and commissioned a mural depicting Qatar and its environment using only recycled waste and found objects. 

A collaboration aimed at promoting planned and feasible sustainable development, a landmark recycling model in the form of a bottle-top project brings together the Solid Waste Interest Group (SWIG) of the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) with The Pearl-Qatar.

A brainchild of Dr Sarah Clarke, Co-ordinator SWIG and Ronnie Anderson of AMEC- Blackcat, a member of SWIG, the art project involved a collection of as many as 60,000 bottle caps. For the project, Seana Mercedes Mallen, a contemporary artist based in Bahrain, guided volunteers from all sectors of society including businesses, schools, and individuals. The volunteers were involved in all stages of the project from collecting, sorting, and assembling the mural that was unveiled during Earth Hour on March 31. The mural depicts aspects of Qatar’s environment including its buildings, nature, greenery and native animals under the theme ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.

Commenting on the immense response the project received from the community, Abdulaziz Al Malki, Head of Supervision at the Waste Management Centre said, “This project is a beacon for waste-reduction and recycling initiatives in Qatar, bringing to the public domain innovative ways of managing waste thereby adding a new dimension to programs already in place by the Ministry of Environment. The community engagement and educational nature of this project is admirable in scope and purpose.

“The Pearl-Qatar has an excellent environmental program including the banning of plastic bags on the Island,” a spokesperson for United Development Company, master developer of The Pearl-Qatar said. “We actively support community and environmental initiatives like this amazing mural and Earth Hour. The Pearl-Qatar already has an established Environmental Affairs Department which will continue to run projects and programs with the aim of protecting and enhancing Qatar’s unique environment.

Reasserting the importance of recycling, Dr. Clarke added, “Through this seminal and very visual project, we hoped to be impactful in raising awareness about the ubiquity of plastic waste and the need to reuse, reduce, and recycle it wherever possible. At QGBC, we endeavor to establish models and integrated solutions to address key environmental issues.“

Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement. Millions of people from more than 4,500 cities and towns in 128 countries switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011, which was recognized as the world’s greatest environmental action to date. 

As well as unveiling the community mural, on March 31, The Pearl-Qatar glowed by candlelight on March 31, joining millions of people and organizations around the world in celebrating Earth Hour 2012. 

A number of dining outlets on the Island served dinner by candlelight and residents were encouraged to turn off non-essential lights between 8.30pm and 9.30pm and join the global hour of action for 2012.