Three tonnes of rubbish collected by volunteers in Ajman

AJMAN // Three tonnes of rubbish was collected during an annual national environmental campaign in Ajman on Tuesday.

The Clean Up UAE campaign was held in Dubai and Sharjah on December 7 and the week long initiative will go to every emirate in the UAE. The Clean Up UAE campaign is now in its 14th year.

A thousand participants were equipped with Clean Up UAE t-shirts, cotton gloves, caps and biodegradable plastic bags to collect the rubbish.

Mrs Habiba Al Mar’ashi, chairwoman of Emirates Environmental Group, said: “Today the United Arab Emirates is at the forefront of economic and social progress not only in our region but globally. The whole world is now viewing us as an epitome of growth and development. This forward march is matched by the commitment to environmental security and sustainability, evidenced by the numerous projects and initiatives being launched by the government, private sector, and research and scientific institutions. The community has, on its part, extended its support to this movement, and plays a critical role in making environment protection everyone’s shared responsibility.”

The Clean Up UAE campaign was first held in December 2002, then with only four emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. This year, the campaign will continue over a period of 10 days covering all the emirates and will conclude on December 16 in Dibba Al Hisn.