Recycle. Reforest. Repeat. 2020

• To create awareness at the grass roots level on the need to preserve the environment by engaging EEG members during the summer months • To educate people on the need for suitable waste management practices - specifically to 'Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' • To create more action platforms to engage different members of the society • To contribute to energy and water conservation and the reduction of pollution • To reduce the volume of waste going to landfills and promote the regular practice of recycling to achieve this goal • To boost the Paper Collection Campaign during the months of June and July and to increase the target amounts from the previous year • To reduce the carbon footprint among UAE residents by encouraging them to recycle paper and contribute to tree-planting in the process. • To prevent trees from being cut globally, thus contribute to the climate action goal • To celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification in a meaningful way EEG is an accredited member of UNCCD since 2005 and works closely with the organisation to support its mission and promote its message amongst the different sectors in the UAE. In 2016, with the roll out of the 17UN SDGs, EEG decided to develop a special project to support UNCCD in its efforts to promote the message of World Day to Combat Desertification. It rolled out the “Recycle. Reforest. Repeat” Project. The Project advocates the importance of inclusive cooperation to restore and rehabilitate degraded land and contribute towards afforestation and creating green spaces. During the one-month project, the participants contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation. EEG’s (RRR) project aims to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality through the involvement and cooperation of all sectors of the community. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 lockdown measures, the Project did not register the usual number of participation as in previous years, nevertheless it registered a total of 40 participants (7 corporate organisations, 6 academic institutions and 27 families). They collected: • Corporate organisations: 15,712 kg of paper • Academic institutions: 11,670 kg of paper • Families: 17,561 kg of paper These participants were successful in planting 108 trees as the Project is linked to the ‘For Our Emirates We Plant’ programme. Since the inception of this project, EEG has succeeded in collecting an impressive 455,744 kg of paper, saving 7,748 trees from being felled, saving energy to the equivalent of 10,230 million BTU and reducing 1,439 m3 of landfill space. EEG has also successfully planted 659 native trees since 2016 under this project which will enable the mitigation of 1,764 MTCO2 emissions annually upon maturity. In the upcoming year, we would like to: 1. Collaborate with more corporate and academic institutions in all Emirates of the UAE and encourage more organisations to participate 2. Get corporates to come on board and sponsor this project to enable us to provide more incentives for the student community to participate 3. Get the active participation of entities both public and private to join this project thereby contributing effectively in diverting paper waste from ending in landfills. 4. Help the local paper recycling factories to run their businesses sustainably 5. Partner with media houses for proper pre- and post-marketing of the project and create greater visibility to attract more participation.