I have been a member of Emirates Environmental Group(EEG) for the past 7 years. I participate in many activities conducted by EEG. One of the most important ones, which I enjoy doing with EEG is the Neighborhood Recycling Project. The project involves working with neighboring families and friends and pooling recyclable materials like newspapers, plastics, ink cartridges, mobile phones etc.

In addition to teaching people on reducing consumption of paper and other materials, the project achieves recycling which in turn reduces consumption.

EEG sets limits like submission of 500 kgs paper or 50 kgs plastics etc and if the student member reaches the target, they allow a tree to be planted in a name of the member?s choice as a reward. During all the past seven years, I have always collected newspaper and other recyclables and sent to EEG. Often I have also been able to be within the UAE Top 10 recyclers in individual / family category.

Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) had organized EEG's annual Tree Planting event "For Our Emirates We Plant" on Sunday 17^th December 2017. During 2018, I was granted 3 trees to plant at a nearby Emirate named Ras al Khaimah on 18 Dec 2018. I have planted nearly 35 trees across all the Emirates in UAE during the past 7 years.

Planting trees is one of the best things you can do for the local environment and for the planet. Global warming is caused by too much of greenhouse gases, created by burning fossil fuels and destroying tropical rainforests. Heat from the sun when reflected back from the earth is trapped in this thick layer of gases, causing global temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. 

The "reduce and recycle campaign" and tree planting  help to reduce our carbon footprint and reduces emission of GHG. This year round campaign with focus during summer holidays is my favorite campaign to do my small share towards climate change mitigation and sustainability efforts.