It’s that time of the year when the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) is back with a bang with one of its most awaited campaigns – the Can Collection Drive. This Drive took place simultaneously in 12 sites across the 7 Emirates and was the culmination of the year long Can Collection Campaign. The 8th of May witnessed hundreds of participants from schools, colleges, governmental institutions and corporate houses come together for a single cause – making the UAE a cleaner and more sustainable country to live in.
Every year, the main concept behind this Drive is to create awareness about the negative effects of daily products such as Aluminum Cans in our lives. EEG wants people to know that these Cans are hazardous if they reach a landfill. Instead, they can be recycled over and over again, retaining all their qualities and posing no threat to the environment at the same time.
EEG also organized a Can Collection Day on the 25th of February this year for the first time. With results exceeding everyone’s expectations, the organization managed to collect more than 5,000 kilograms of Aluminum Cans on a single day. Last year in 2009, EEG collected an excess of 18,000 kilograms. Therefore, this year, they took it up a notch by striving to achieve a huge target of 20,000 kilograms of Aluminum Cans. The collection from the 2010 Can Collection Drive was about 7,645 kilograms, bringing EEG’s total collection for this year to a whopping 22,000 kilograms of Aluminum Cans and surpassing the target by 2,000 kilograms! It was the Emirate of Dubai that recorded the highest collections this year.
Participants thronged to their designated sites in time slots from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM with their collections. Collections ranged from 2 kilograms from individuals or families to 2000 kilograms from hotels and catering houses. But this did not deter anyone as they were just excited to be a part of such a colossal environmental event. The atmosphere at each of the sites was electric as there was also a sense of friendly competition between participants.
Launched in 1997, the Can Collection Campaign has been one of the most successful recycling campaigns initiated by EEG. As of 2009, EEG has successfully diverted 106,406 kilograms of aluminum cans from UAE landfills for recycling.
As said before, the Can Collection Drive can also be considered as a competition as those with the highest collections are awarded by EEG during its Prize Distribution Ceremony on World Environment Day.
According to EEG Chairperson, Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi, “With the UAE having one of the highest global rates of domestic waste generation in the world, campaigns such as this are the need of the hour. People have to start believing strongly in the concept of recycling and waste management and this is our aim with each of our programs. I thank each and every one of the participants who took the time out to volunteer and participate, making this the largest Can Collection campaign in the nation.”
“PepsiCo is pleased to partner with the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) in its Annual Can Collection Drive. It is through such events and through our partnership with organizations like the EEG that we are able to give back to the communities in which we operate, which is central to our vision of achieving business success while leaving a positive imprint on society -- what we call ‘Performance with Purpose’” said Tarek Kabil, President Middle East & Africa Region, PepsiCo.
“Protecting the environment is one of EMAL’s core values, and one of the ways EMAL practices its core values is by spreading awareness and encouraging our employees and community members to start doing their part to preserve the environment,” said Saeed Al Mazrooei, CEO of EMAL.
Waseem Halabi, Country Manager, Al Safi Club for Friends of the Environment said: "The Can Collection Campaign is a simple yet very effective way to generate awareness about the importance of recycling and other eco-friendly initiatives in the UAE. We are strongly committed to help EEG ensure the success of this project and make ordinary members of the society become an integral part of the green movement in the country.
The Drive this year brought a number of regular participants as well as new faces to its fore. EEG tried to make the atmosphere as comfortable as possible for the participants by distributing cold water bottles and juices. The sites were manned by EEG staff and many committed EEG volunteers who helped participants in weighing the Cans and recording the collections. The heat was not an issue as everyone had the greater good of environmental sustainability in their minds.
The Main Sponsors of the campaign are Emal, PepsiCo and Al Safi Club for Friends of the Environment. Providing logistical support for the campaign are Abu Dhabi Zenath, McDonalds, Dubai Municipality, Fujairah Municipality, Radisson Blu, Lucky Recycling Co., Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, Sai Group, Abela, Al Ain English Speaking School, American International School – Abu Dhabi, Preston University Ajman and Al Futtaim Carillion. The media supporters are Khaleej Times, Gulf News and 7Days.
