I have been living in Discovery Gardens for the past three years and as an environmentally concerned expatriate, the recycling stations at each building, which are now closed, bother me.
In today's world, people and organisations are investing billions to create solar parks, wind farms and hydro-electric projects. And, while an individual cannot do much to create a big change towards sustainable living, as capital investments for solar panelling or windmills are high, I believe that it is the small things we do that make the biggest difference. One such small thing that can make a big difference is recycling.
Every building in my area has a recycling station, which is a room that consists of bins to sort the different recyclable items. Initially the bins always remained full and you were able to see that people were actually recycling. However, for the past year the recycling stations have been closed. As a result, all of the recyclable plastics, aluminium and paper have been dumped into the trash bins. When people are willing to recycle, closing down the recycling stations instead of adding more is a very sad decision. I hope the authorities will do something about this issue and help us move towards a greener future.
— The reader is a grade 12 student based in Dubai
