Taking a conscious step towards protecting the environment and reducing landfill waste in the UAE, students, staff, and families from GEMS Education schools have prevented over three tonnes of e-waste from ending up in landfills. This year-long campaign in collaboration with Fixerman, the Dubai-based device repair specialist, was designed to raise students' awareness about digital waste's impact.
In a city where many prefer to buy new devices instead of repairing old ones, discarded electronics pose a significant environmental threat. Toxic substances like lead and mercury from these devices can leak into the soil and water system when dumped in landfills.
On average, a UAE resident generates 17.2kgs of e-waste annually, driven by a growing reliance on technology and frequent upgrades to newer models. Consequently, many households accumulate unused or defective devices that risk improper disposal.
The campaign aimed to simplify and encourage the safe disposal of e-waste by distributing secure collection boxes to all participating schools. Fixerman, operating with solar-powered vans, collected old gadgets such as mobiles, laptops, monitors, computer items, and batteries, ensuring their secure disposal through clear Earth recycling.
GEMS International School was the network’s e-waste-saving supremos, collecting 3,069 kgs of e-waste.
Commenting on this collaboration, Jassim Bangara, Fixerman Founder, said “We are delighted to have concluded a very impactful and productive e-waste campaign through GEMS Education. Our target was to collect one ton when we kick-started the campaign, but we have exceeded our target and collected 3,069kg of e-waste."
"As a result of this campaign, we have successfully contributed to the reduction of raw material extraction from the earth of materials such as gold, copper and silver, reduced energy consumption as recycled materials generally consume less energy, and avoided harmful methane emissions; yet perhaps, most importantly, through this partnership, we helped students and families to become more conscious of their tech usage and the impact of e-waste. It gives me immense satisfaction to have been able to achieve this feat and we'd like to thank every school and community that contributed," added Jassim Bangara.