Everyone's a winner on can-recycling day

A drive to collect empty beverage cans will be held at eight sites across the UAE.

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An environmental group is holding a nationwide drive to collect and recycle drinks cans Thursday.

The annual event, organised by the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), has been held since 1997 and has recycled 148.7 tonnes of aluminium cans.

Instilling a "culture of recycling is the ultimate goal of this exercise", said Habiba Al Marashi, the chairwoman of EEG. "We want to create a society with a sense of responsibility and amity to save our Mother Earth's natural resources.

"As we believe that raising awareness is foremost in bringing about change, we are happy to see that the spirit of environmental awareness and volunteerism is on the rise, and that our people are becoming more conscious of the detriments of throwing away aluminium cans."

Aluminium is one of the easiest materials to recycle, and holds its value as it is reprocessed.

Collected cans are melted and turned into metal bars. Recycled aluminium can be used to produce cars, aeroplane parts and new cans.

But extracting aluminium from bauxite rock is an energy-intensive process. About 1 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions are attributed to aluminium production, said Mrs Al Marashi.

Recycling the metal requires 95 per cent less energy and helps to reduce the size of landfills, which are growing at an unsustainable rate.

Residents can take empty cans to any of eight sites around the country, between 9am and noon.

In Abu Dhabi, the drop-off site is the American International School, and in Al Ain at the Al Ain English Speaking School.

In Dubai, cans may be left at the car park in front of the Musalla Eid mosque on Sheikh Rashid Road in Al Mankhool, and at Al Serkal Bridgestone building on Sheikh Zayed Road.

In Sharjah, the centre is at the Radisson Blu Hotel near the Corniche.

Ajman Free Zone will have a collection point at Gate 3 and Ras Al Khaimah residents can visit the administration parking area at the RAK Business Park.

In Fujairah, cans should be left at Our Own English High School.