DUBAI // More than 27,000 people are expected to help clean up the country during a month-long campaign starting in December.
The Emirates Environmental Group hopes to draw volunteers from families, schools, companies and government agencies to clean 107 sites across the Emirates as part of Clean Up UAE 2012, which begins on December 12.
“As of today, more than 22,000 have confirmed participation for this year,” Habiba Al Marashi, the chairwoman of the group, said yesterday.
To date, the annual campaign has collected more than 122,000 kilograms of paper, 100kg of batteries, 6,800kg of plastic, 1,500kg of food packaging, 5,000kg of cans and 1,500kg of toners.
The campaign took place for the first time in 2002 in four emirates, with a few thousand volunteers. Last year more than 97 tonnes of waste was collected at 110 sites.
“The progression of Clean Up UAE mirrors the growing concern for the environment from all quarters and we are delighted to have been able to catalyse it into a popular nationwide movement,” said Mrs Al Marashi.
The UAE is one of the largest producers of waste for each head of population in the world. In Abu Dhabi, more than 4.7 million tonnes of municipal waste were produced in 2010, according to the Centre for Waste Management.
Abdulaziz Zurub, director of health, safety and environment at Abu Dhabi Municipality, said the number of recycling bins across the emirate would be increased as part of a joint initiative with the waste-management centre.
But Mr Zurub cautioned recycling was only one aspect of reducing waste.
“We need to reduce the wrong consumption of products to start with,” he said. “We need to start from the buying stage. We need to ask ourselves: do we need this product?
“The reduction of waste starts from the buying phase.”
