24th cycle Can Collection Day observed in UAE: Emirates Environmental Group

On 27^th February’20, school children, members of the corporate community and the hospitality industry together came up to observe the 24^th cycle of Aluminium can collection day in UAE.

In a single day, pre-identified collection points across the country collected around 5,325 kg of aluminium cans.

Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) organised this annual national event of Can Collection Day, the first-of-its-kind environmental NGO in the UAE.

The motto of the event this year was: “Don’t throw it away. Recycle it for another day.”

The annual activity made people come from all walks of life together. The public sector and private sector entities both came in join hands with the EEG to obstruct used aluminium cans from using to landfills, which damage the environment and leads the cause of carbon emission.

This is one of the measurable activity EEG has adopted to support the UAE’s quest to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its set target of Sustainable Development Goals.

The outcome of the collection is the reduction of 78.5 MT carbon dioxide emissions, which saves 127 cubic metres of the landfill and 1,191 million BTU of energy. It also brings the collection to 6,943 kg, which is 38.5% of aluminium cans to be collected this year as per the target.

Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Chairperson of EEG, said: "I am so happy to see the community heeding to the call of environmental conservation by rolling up their sleeves and coming on board this action oriented activity to collect aluminium cans and ensuring they are recycled. This nationwide campaign fits very well with the national strategy of promoting the concept of a circular economy and aligns with several of the 17 United Nations SDGs.”

EEG’s event Can Collection Day 2020 is sponsored by Emirates Global Aluminium and supported by Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Tourism and American International School in Abu Dhabi.