Children helping UAE biofuels industry

Children in the UAE have been recycling cooking oil to make biofuels as part of a new initiative.

The programme was set up by the Blue waste management company in Dubai, and involves pupils of all ages, from kindergarten to teenagers.

According to the National UAE, Delhi Private School in Sharjah has already collected an impressive 162 litres of used cooking oil as part of the scheme.

School pupils are being encouraged to collect used cooking oil from their homes. It is hoped that as well as teaching the children about recycling, the programme will also educate their parents. As the children set out to collect as much oil as possible, it is hoped they’ll spread the message of recycling for biofuel production to neighbours and local business, as well as their own families.

Blue collects and recycles waste from a host of restaurants in Dubai, yet a lot of cooking oil is still not properly disposed of, leading to blogged drains and pollution.

Five schools are participating in Blue’s programme: Little Flower English School, Elite English School, Kindergarten Starters, Gems New Millennium Schools and Delhi Private School. All started as a short term project, but all five schools now have permanent collection bins so children can continue to contribute.