More than 62,000kg of waste has been collected from Bahrain’s shores since 2018, highlighting the scale of marine pollution as World Cleanup Day tomorrow puts the spotlight on efforts across the kingdom to protect its coastline.
Several groups across the country are marking the occasion with clean-ups, recycling drives and awareness campaigns, bringing together hundreds of people to take action against waste and encourage more sustainable habits.
World Cleanup Day is observed annually on September 20, as part of a global movement focused on reducing waste. This year’s theme, ‘From Clean Plates to Clean Cities,’ draws attention to food waste and other preventable forms of waste affecting cities and communities around the world.
Cleanup Bahrain, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), will host a clean-up at Malkiya Beach today from 4.30pm to 8.30pm, inviting residents and citizens to roll up their sleeves and take part.
“We have collected around 62,245kg of waste since our establishment,” Cleanup Bahrain chairman and co-founder Ali AlQaseer told the GDN. The group was founded in February 2016 as a voluntary team before being officially recognised as an NGO in January 2018.
“The main types of waste that are usually found during clean-up activities are unrecycled items classified as general waste. Among recyclable items, solid plastics are found in higher volumes, including plastic bags.”
While the number of clean-up activities was limited during the first half of the year owing to regional challenges, Mr AlQaseer said several events had been rescheduled to the fourth quarter.
He said education and environmental awareness, particularly among younger generations, remained key to creating a cleaner Bahrain.
“The new and upcoming generations are the future, and we totally have faith in them leading the way forward,” he said. “Small actions today make a huge difference tomorrow.”
Mr AlQaseer also urged residents to support environmental organisations and initiatives in whatever way they can, whether by taking part in activities and projects or providing funding.
He thanked Cleanup Bahrain’s members and volunteers, as well as municipal and government bodies, for their continued support of the organisation’s activities.
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Manama is encouraging residents to donate recyclable plastic, which is sold to raise funds for customised wheelchairs designed to meet the specific needs of children.
The campaign is being held in collaboration with the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled (BAPF).
Since the programme was launched in 2011, 25 people have received customised wheelchairs and 16 others have had their existing wheelchairs adapted to better suit their needs.
“Every bottle collected through this campaign brings BAPF one step closer to putting a wheelchair in the hands of someone who needs it,” club president Ghizlane Rahali told the GDN.
“Our partnership with the association turns a simple act of recycling into real, lasting support for people of determination, which is exactly the spirit behind our club’s theme this year, the Gift of Possibility.
“It also contributes to collecting waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.”
Plastic donations can be dropped off at locations including Abraj Al LuLu Building near Dana Mall, Tamkeen Sanabis, Abu Ghazal Garden – Zinj, Dohat Arad, Muharraq Model Youth Centre Busaiteen, Hamad Town Model Youth Centre, Bahrain Sports Club Busaiteen, Saar Mall (backside), Al Fajer School Budaiya, Budaiya Beach, A’ali Walking Park, Farmers Market Hoorat A’ali, Tubli Walkway, Wadi Al Sail Mall, Askar Walkway and Bahrain Science Centre in Isa Town.
The initiatives come against a backdrop of large volumes of waste being generated in Bahrain.
Askar landfill, the kingdom’s primary waste disposal site, handles more than 1.4 million tonnes of domestic and commercial waste each year, a significant proportion of which is plastic. Previous GDN reports have estimated that around four billion plastic bottles are consumed annually in Bahrain, with the majority ultimately ending up in landfill.
For Bahraini environmental advocate Nasra Buashwan, tackling the problem also begins with the choices people make every day.
“So many people say, ‘I am just one person, my action doesn’t make a difference’, but if each person starts looking at what they can do, we would see a big change in Bahrain,” she told the GDN.
The Riffa-based influencer launched an Instagram page in 2017 encouraging people to consume less and save more and has since built an audience of more than 25,500 followers.
She said reducing waste was not necessarily about making drastic changes, but about slowing down and being more conscious of everyday choices.
“Single-use plastic became popular for understandable reasons – it is convenient, fast, and cheap,” she said, noting that these qualities appeal to a fast-paced lifestyle in which people often feel rushed to fit endless tasks into a 24-hour day.
“But I say that people should try to slow down more. For example, instead of waking up in a rush and grabbing a takeaway coffee in a plastic cup, waking up 20 minutes earlier to make a coffee at home saves that plastic.
“The main point is simply to consume less. The less you consume, the less waste there is to be discarded.”
She said recognising that not every new pair of shoes or smartphone is necessary can help shift people’s habits, while resisting frequent fashion purchases and minor technology upgrades can reduce pressure on natural resources and prevent unnecessary waste.
Consuming less can also free up money for higher-quality, natural and biodegradable alternatives, she added.
Her focus on reducing waste has also led to a project aimed at keeping another everyday item out of landfill – used crayons.
“I launched Crayunic Bahrain, an initiative that collects used crayons and turns them into new ones after becoming concerned about the amount of paraffin wax being sent to landfills,” Ms Buashwan said.
The idea grew from ‘Candle of Hope’, a recycling charity initiative she co-founded in 2019, through which hundreds of kilograms of candle wax were collected from churches, ma’atams and homes.
“I realised we could do the same with crayons, so we started reaching out to schools,” she said.
The initiative collected more than 100kg of used crayons during the 2024-2025 academic year, which will be recycled into new crayons.
According to the United Nations, the world generates between 2.1 and 2.3bn tonnes of municipal solid waste every year, a figure projected to rise to 3.8bn tonnes by 2050 if current trends continue.
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