DEWA recycles 118,967 containers in six months

Dubai: Employees of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recycled 118,967 plastic bottles and aluminium cans during the first half of 2026, as the utility continues efforts to embed sustainability and environmentally responsible behaviour across its workforce.

The items were collected through smart recycling machines installed at a number of DEWA buildings and connected to the authority’s Smart Office application. Employees receive points for each item recycled, making them eligible for monthly prize draws.

Since the initiative was launched and the machines were introduced in October 2022, DEWA employees have recycled more than 1.41 million plastic bottles and aluminium cans, diverting more than 19.83 tonnes of waste from landfill by the end of the first half of 2026.

DEWA said the programme supports the Dubai Integrated Waste Management Strategy 2021–2041, which seeks to advance innovation in waste management, recycling and waste-to-energy solutions while developing practical responses to environmental challenges.

It also aligns with DEWA’s Circular Economy Strategy, which focuses on circular design and recyclable materials, improved asset management, preserving value at the end of a product’s life cycle, greater use of renewable energy and improved energy and water efficiency, as well as stronger circular partnerships.

The initiative also highlights the role of different participants across DEWA’s value chain, including smart users, circular procurement practices and suppliers, in advancing the authority’s sustainability objectives.

DEWA recorded a score of 92.33 per cent on its Sustainability Culture Index for 2025, a measure of employees’ awareness of sustainability principles and the extent to which they incorporate those principles into their daily lives.