I firmly believe that every day is Earth day therefore I do not keep my environmental & sustainable events or activities limited to a particular day. They are carried out throughout the year.

I started my book recycling and initiative as the Founder of Serve The Earth, which is a branch of Serve The Heroes, consisting of 70-80 members. I quickly spread the word about my book recycling initiative, which I initiated on a grand scale, last year, when I placed the ?3R?s Pick and Drop Green Box?, when students from all over my community came to drop off their books for juniors or for recycling, and to pick up course and reference books that they need. I still continue on the ideal to make it a point that not a single book in my building goes into the trash. I consider it my responsibility to spread awareness among students at the end of the academic year, no matter which age group, to hand over their course books, reference books, guides, etc.

I spread the work through various social media platforms, word of mouth, and even club meetings. Gulf News has also duly covered my activities before, hence boosting participation in the same. This year, I decided to classify the books in different packets according to grades and called out to the children I knew would need these books, and reuse them efficiently, and handed the books and other relevant material. 

Even I, trying to practice what I preach, have always made it a point to use hand-me-down books. Other options that are always open as back up include handing over reference books to school teachers, for their future reference in teaching. Whatever I may do, I make sure that every book is put to use, again and again. Some children call me to their houses to collect the used books from them. No only this, but, if a book deems completely unusable, I definitely recycle it, with Bee?ah or the Emirates Environment Group (EEG).

Many children have been encouraged by my work and have started similar initiatives, in their buildings, such as my friends Anish and Saad, who have turned out to be eco-warriors. Any surplus material, they bring to me for recycling.

Now, Children as young as 7, come to me on a Friday morning, with their parents to drop off their collection of recyclables, in the past week. They have shaped their routine in such a manner, that whenever they are done using something, they always check whether the containers that we use in everyday life, such as milk cans, yoghurt boxes are recyclable, and if they are, they rinse it and store it. It only gets better as we reward the top collectors with prizes. Bee?ah, Sharjah?s leading environmental company, has always been very supportive in picking up the collectables and recycling them efficiently.

Novels, story books, comics, etc.  are the types of books that should never be disposed. I always find children, suitable aged to the books and pass it on to them. Otherwise, I donate the story books to the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, who carry out the Biennial Used Book Fair, where I not only donate but also volunteer at the stalls, to ensure that I am able to recommend the best books to genuine readers.

Whatever my cause may be, I ensure to keep using what can be, to divert waste from landfill and to dispose responsibly, that is, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle.  The bottom line remains, that drops make an ocean, and even if one child in every building takes an initiative like this, there can be a HUGE impact as the waste can be diverted from the landfill, because after all, the onus is on us, the Generation-Y, to step forward spread the message of Mother Earth for the win, making Earth Day, every day.

Last week National Newspaper of the UAE printed my community report covering this aspect. The link of the same is also attached for a quick reference, and scan of another report is attached for a quick reference:

http://gulfnews.com/your-say/your-reports/from-old-to-new-1.1811071