A group of teachers, students and parents at Doha-based Gulf English School (GES) recently launched a drive to collect plastic bottle caps and recycling them for better use.

Over 650 kilograms of bottle caps have been donated – which is close to 300,000 individual caps. These donated bottle caps will be handed over to relevant recycling companies to produce recycled products and thereby help communities move towards zero waste.

Titled 'From Waste to Wonder', the activism and awareness campaign at GES is inspired by the fact that over eight million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans each year. World-wide, nearly 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, half of which is for single use.

Plastic lasts forever as it is not bio-degradable. Everything that has ever been made from plastic still exists. In around 700 years plastic will start to break up (degrade). Plastic does not decompose or biodegrade and get absorbed by nature, it ‘photo-degrades’ – which means they will turn into smaller toxic parts.

The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP) estimated that land-based sources account for up to 80 per cent of the world’s marine (sea) pollution, 60 to 95 per cent of the waste being plastics debris.

Sara Howe-Eal, campaign organiser, said: "We are overwhelmed and delighted by the response to this campaign. As a school, we would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to every single member of the school and wider community that has contributed to this great cause, with special thanks going to Sheikh Faisal and Sheikha Maha who have been involved and have set a wonderful example for all the GES community. GES would also like to thank Arcadis and their employees for reaching out to us, getting involved and, of course, for their wonderful contribution of bottle caps.” – TradeArabia News Service