Gardeners across the UAE are turning their private gardens into public composting sites in an effort to help cut food waste.
Green-fingered backers of a global project are inviting residents in the Emirates to drop off their food scraps so they can be turned into plant feed.
Fruit, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and stale bread can all be collected and broken down over time into valuable fertiliser.
The compost is then distributed by community groups to help grow vegetables and flowers.
“News of the initiative has spread organically and online registrations in the UAE have picked up," said Sunny Sangha, community manager of MakeSoil.org
One of the most common questions people ask me is where they can dump their food scraps in Dubai.
"[It] seems to be gaining momentum as neighbours here want to collaborate to address the food-waste crisis.
"The first Abu Dhabi soil site already has 10 [registered] supporters, which may be the fastest growth of any soil site in the MakeSoil.org movement so far."
MakeSoil.org, an online platform, was started in the United States last year with thegoal of helping to "regenerate the planet".
Organisers hope that those signing up to the initiative will "reconnect with the Earth and each other".
The project works by inviting eco-conscious residents to allow their homes to become collecting sites for community food waste.
These "soil makers" then appeal to local "soil supporters" to drop off their food waste so it can be made into compost.
So far in the Emirates, homes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have all agreed to act as collecting sites.
In Dubai, there are six sites listed – two in the Springs community, and more in Al Warqa, Al Barari, Arabian Ranches and Dubai Marina.
Dubai resident Doua Benhida, 29, told The National that she signed up to the initiative as a soil supporter.
“I try to make compost at home but I travel a lot which makes upkeep and maintenance difficult,” she said.
“I’m an advocate of zero waste and I host a lot of talks in the UAE about making it a lifestyle choice.
“One of the most common questions people ask me is where they can dump their food scraps in Dubai. Now, I can finally answer that question.”
Roughly one third of the food produced around the world for human consumption is currently wasted annually, according to the United Nations.
In the UAE, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment estimates that food waste costs the country an average of Dh13 billion a year, while an average person is responsible for 2.7kg of food and packaging waste per day.
The Emirates has pledged to cut waste by 50 per cent by 2030 to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Abu Dhabi resident Sarah McFayden said she had also signed up to be a soil supporter.
Despite her apartment block providing separate food waste bins on each floor, she said she was sceptical of where the produce ends up.
“I’m never quite sure if it ends up in landfill or not, so at least this way I can track its whereabouts as I’ll be delivering the scraps to the composting spot myself,” she said.
Ms McFayden said she had joined the soil site in Al Mushrif, next to her office, and planned to drop off her food scraps daily.
“I did look to do my own composting at home but there is limited access to the kind of equipment you need here, like specialised bins and compost-accelerator powder,” she said.
"It can be quite expensive to compost at home too, so for now, until I am more committed to doing it myself, this is a great alternative.”
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Race card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.
The National selections:
1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed
2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey
2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol
3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart
3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial
4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold
4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
The years Ramadan fell in May
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.