1500kg aluminium cans collected on Silver Jubilee of EEG’s aluminium can recycling campaign

The 25th year of the Can Collection Day, organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) on February 25, 2021, witnessed a total of 1,500kg aluminium can collection. Around 200 entities, including companies, hotels, academic institutions and families, participated in the event that helped reduce 23 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and save 341 million thermal units of energy as well as 36 cubic metres of landfill space.

Since the inception of the campaign in 1997 as the first community-based annual recycling programme, EEG managed to collect 344,216 kg aluminium cans in total, noted Chairperson Habiba Al Mar’ashi. That resulted in several environmental benefits such as the mitigation of 5,167 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide and saving 8,356 cubic metres of landfill space and 78,338 million BTU of energy conservation.

Habiba Al Mar’ashi said, “In celebrating the silver jubilee of this national programme, we express our gratitude to the UAE society and appreciate the hard work, dedication and commitment that have resulted in the massive growth of this programme over the years — both in terms of number of participants and the quantities collected.”

According to EEG, most people don’t realise that aluminium is a perfect 100 per cent recyclable material among all other materials that clog landfills such as glass, metals, paper, and plastics. Aluminium recycling consumes 95 per cent less energy than smelting aluminium from bauxite ore. Every year, more than 500 million aluminium beverage cans are sold in the UAE, 93 per cent of which end up in landfills leaving a detrimental impact on the environment.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium has a key role to play in the development of a more sustainable society because it is light, strong and infinitely recyclable. In fact, about 75 per cent of all the aluminium ever made is still in use today. Putting aluminium in landfill is a real waste of this important material for human progress. We are pleased to support EEG in its work to highlight what each of us can do to recycle aluminium cans.”