The Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Zain Bahrain, organised the closing ceremony of the fifth edition of the E-Waste Competition, with the participation of 18 secondary schools from across the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The ceremony was attended by Amina Hamad Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the SCE; HH Shaikh Isa bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Deputy Chief Executive of the SCE; Mohammed Zainalabedin, Managing Director of Zain Bahrain; Ammar Al Khatib, Chief Executive Officer of Zain Bahrain.
The competition forms part of joint efforts to enhance environmental awareness among young people and encourage students to adopt responsible practices in collecting and disposing of electronic waste through safe and sustainable methods, supporting environmental protection and the Kingdom's sustainable development goals.
Al Rumaihi commended the success of the competition, noting that it has become a national model for promoting environmental awareness among school students and reinforcing shared responsibility towards protecting the environment. She also expressed appreciation to Zain Bahrain and the Ministry of Education for their continued support and lauded the efforts of participating schools and students.
For his part, Ibrahim Al Burshaid, Assistant Undersecretary for Education at the Ministry of Education, affirmed the ministry's commitment to supporting initiatives that promote environmental awareness. He noted the importance of cooperation with partners to encourage students to benefit from recycling surplus items, including electronic waste, and use them to create innovative projects. He added that environmental education has become a key priority for the ministry and occupies a significant place in its curricula, programmes and activities.
Zainalabedin said that the competition reflects Zain Bahrain's commitment to supporting environmental sustainability and promoting awareness among students and young people. He noted that the initiative contributes to promoting a culture of recycling and encouraging future generations to adopt more responsible practices in dealing with electronic waste, in line with sustainable development goals and Zain Group's "4WARD – Progress with Purpose" strategy.
Zain Bahrain collected nearly 15 tonnes of electronic waste during the current year through the continued success of the competition and partnerships aimed at promoting a culture of electronic waste recycling.
The ceremony also honoured winners in the competition's three main categories: collecting the largest quantity of electronic waste, best awareness campaign, and best innovative project using electronic waste. Schools that secured the top three places in each category received commemorative shields in recognition of their efforts.