Around 400kg of waste has been collected as part of a youth-led beach clean-up initiative at Malkiya beach.
The programme entitled Eco Awareness and Action Beach Clean-up was organised by World Malayalee Council (WMC) Toastmasters and Gavel Club, in collaboration with One Heart Bahrain – an unregistered, not-for-profit community organisation – Urbaser Bahrain and Al Mahd School.
Friday’s event brought together close to 200 volunteers, including families and students, under the theme ‘One Heart, One Community, One Earth’.
The waste products collected included glass bottles, plastic bottles and caps, food wrappers, disposable cups and small metal objects.
The clean-up was part of a bigger eco-themed campaign, with a strong focus on youth engagement, and included storytelling sessions for young eco-warriors, in an effort to raise awareness on the cause.
An interactive Eco Bus, provided by Urbaser, was on site, offering hands-on demonstrations on waste management, recycling and sustainable living.
Participants learned how everyday waste choices impact Bahrain’s marine and coastal ecosystems.
Path Bahrain distributed reusable water bottles, encouraging attendees to avoid single-use plastic and go for re-usable containers instead.
Al Mahd School participated with its students and teachers, reinforcing the role of
education in nurturing environmental responsibility
among young people.
“This initiative allows young people to lead by example,” WMC Toastmasters president Roy Skaria said in his address.
“Through communication, teamwork and service, the Gavel Club members demonstrate how youth leadership can create real environmental impact.”
WMC Gavel Club members played a leading role with their eco awareness speeches and messages, offering guidance to the participants.
One Heart Bahrain representatives and Al Mahd school students and staff members also spoke at the event, all spreading the message ‘Let’s all walk and work together towards a cleaner and greener future’.
“WMC Toastmasters and partners are exploring additional clean-ups, eco-awareness workshops, and youth-led sustainability programmes in the new year. The aim is to build this into an ongoing collaboration, rather than a one-time event,” added a representative of the public speaking platform, highlighting the groups’ commitment to the cause.
As previously reported in the GDN, an average of 1kg of waste per person makes its way to the Askar landfill each day. The latest figure, dated July 2024, highlighted a staggering 1.4 million tonnes of domestic and commercial waste.
Last year, 300 recycling bins were distributed throughout the kingdom’s four governorates and at least 279 tonnes of recyclable waste collected through sorting bins between January and October 2025. The materials included 209 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 28 tonnes of plastic, 28 tonnes of glass and 14 tonnes of metals.
The National Waste Management Strategy aims to achieve integrated, sustainable waste management through key initiatives like waste-to-energy, recycling and engineered landfills. Aligned with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, it targets significant landfill reduction by focusing on resource recovery and raising public awareness.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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