Large number of volunteers turn out for GPCA's inaugural 'Clean Up The Gulf' campaign across the GCC

The campaign officially kicked off at a clean-up event in Dubai by His Excellency Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, while simultaneous events took place in Abu Dhabi, and three locations in Saudi Arabia.

An army of volunteers from schools, local communities and diving clubs worked with the GPCA and its member companies to remove litter from beaches and gather plastic waste for recycling from coastal areas.

Students from various schools joined the litter collection operations around the region, and diving clubs in Saudi Arabia also took part to tackle marine pollution and waste.

GPCA member companies including SABIC, Borouge, SAHARA, and Petro Rabigh also pledged resources to support the campaign, with employees joining the clean-up teams.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, said: "The support we've had across the Gulf has been fantastic, which shows that people in local communities as well as the petrochemical industry are dedicated to making a serious effort in looking after the environment."

Dr. Sadoun added: "To see volunteers from schools and local communities give up their time to aid the initiative has made the first 'Clean Up The Gulf' campaign a success, and we're proud that people and companies in the region are keen to protect the precious environment we live in."

"The operation will also give us valuable data on the levels of waste and pollution linked to the petrochemical sector, helping us as an industry to improve operations and implement best practices which maintain the environment," Dr. Sadoun said.

'Clean Up The Gulf' is a new annual campaign which the GPCA hopes will soon become the largest environmental awareness initiative of its type in the region. It was set up as a response to irresponsible littering behaviour combined with limited infrastructure for recycling in the Gulf region.

The GPCA hopes to highlight complacent attitudes toward proper waste disposal which are tarnishing the image of plastics products, a major part of the region's economy and both economically valuable and sustainable. The GPCA estimates that less than 10% of plastics are recycled in the Gulf.

Out of the 80 million tonnes of waste generated in the GCC each year, 33% constitutes municipal solid waste. The percentage of plastic waste is put at 26 million tonnes per year, the result of high consumption of consumer products.