Approximately 250kg of electronic waste has been collected by Bahrain’s Dawoodi Bohra community as part of a grassroots initiative to tackle the kingdom’s growing e-waste problem.
Around 100 volunteers, of all ages, joined hands to sort and pack the items before passing them on to a licensed recycling company for refurbishment or safe dismantling.
“This ensures that useful materials are recovered and the impact on the environment is kept to an absolute minimum,” the Dawoodi Bohra community’s media and sustainability lead Murtaza Sadriwala explained.
“Devices that can be refurbished are restored for reuse, while the rest are dismantled and their components recycled responsibly.”
Old laptops, tangled phone chargers, broken radios, and small appliances poured into collection points during the recent drive, with families turning up together to clear out drawers and cupboards of forgotten devices.
The campaign is the latest in a series of environmental efforts by the Dawoodi Bohra community in Bahrain, which has previously planted trees with UN-Habitat’s Buthoor Al Bahrain programme, taken part in coastal clean-ups and organised waste management projects.
For the community, the e-waste initiative is as much about values as it is about recycling.
“The Dawoodi Bohra community in Bahrain has long placed environmental stewardship at the heart of its social initiatives,” the Dawoodi Bohra community in Bahrain’s head of public relations Ebrahim Zakiuddin told the GDN.
“From tree-planting with UN-Habitat’s Buthoor Al Bahrain programme to coastal clean-ups and waste management projects, we see caring for the planet as a moral responsibility. The e-waste drive is a natural extension of this commitment. By encouraging the safe disposal of unused electronics, we aim to support the principles of a circular economy, where valuable resources are recovered, hazardous waste is minimised, and sustainability becomes part of everyday life.
Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally.
If discarded with regular rubbish, its toxic components can seep into soil and water.”
Bahrain, like many countries in the region, faces the challenge of handling growing volumes of outdated or broken gadgets, often without widespread public awareness of the risks.
According to the 2024 E-waste Monitor report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Bahrain generated 26,000kg of electronic waste in 2022.
This makes Bahrain the second-highest e-waste generating country per capita in the region, with each person in the kingdom generating 17.8kg of electronic waste annually.
According to 2022 data by the ITU, UAE generates the highest amount of e-waste in the GCC, with 18.9kg per capita.
The Dawoodi Bohra initiative is part of Project Rise, a global philanthropic programme inspired by the vision of Sultan Al Bohra Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Through Project Rise, Dawoodi Bohra communities worldwide have launched projects in education, nutrition, health and environmental protection.
“In Bahrain, the e-waste initiative and other conservation efforts reflect our Islamic values of caring for the Earth while also aligning with international efforts to combat climate change,” Mr Zakiuddin added.
With similar drives already under way in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman, the community hopes the Bahrain initiative will spark further momentum in the region.
“At the same time, we hope to encourage individuals, families and businesses to adopt small, practical steps, like thoughtful consumption and waste disposal, that collectively make a big difference for a cleaner, healthier future,” Mr Sadriwala added.
The Dawoodi Bohras of Bahrain have called the kingdom their home since the 1850s. Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East where Bohras settled.
They were mostly traders by profession who had emigrated from India in search of business opportunities. In 1914, the then ruler of Bahrain, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, gifted a piece of land in Manama to the Bohra community to build a mosque.
Over the years, the community has grown to around 1,000 members today. Many are also professionals in the fields of medicine, engineering, finance, teaching and hotel management.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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