Schools across Ras Al Khaimah, yesterday gathered at an award ceremony that recognised and showcased the sustainability practises adopted by educational institutions in the emirate, naming Al Roaya as an exemplary school of sustainability success.
The new ‘Green Rating’ system for schools, that launched on 5th October 2017, is a joint scheme by the Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency (RAKWMA), a subsidiary of the Public Works Department, and the Ras Al Khaimah Education Zone.
The long-term aim is to ensure that students and teachers across the Emirate are learning more about sustainable environmental practices and developing more proactive and positive responses to environmental issues, through evaluating and grading participating schools based on a set of established criteria.
The winning school, Al Roaya where 700 girls in Cycle 2 and 3 attend, was awarded five recycling symbols scoring 55 points during evaluation that was based on 17 criteria covering issues such as innovation and amount of waste recycled per student.
The school boasts the highest score for innovation (scoring 13 out of a possible 15) for their projects which included the development of a SMART RECYCLING BOX which alerts the students when the box needs to be emptied and developing a solar mechanism to clean solar panels of sand to allow for better absorption of solar energy.
Janet Hartzenberg, School and Business Outreach Manager of the Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency, said: “The new Green Rating system provides schools with an accepted, standard measure in which they can record their efforts, encouraging the youth to be active participants in protecting the environment in Ras Al Khaimah and to make our schools cleaner and greener.
“We evaluated and graded schools to ascertain whether they were participating in environmentally friendly projects and initiatives, and working to gain an understanding of how ‘green’ the schools in Ras Al Khaimah currently are.
“We want students and teachers to be more aware about the decisions that they make in their day to day lives and the effect that they have on their surroundings, whether it’s recycling, reducing the amount of paper they are using, or volunteering in community efforts. All of these actions can and will make a difference, and schools will now be rewarded for their participation.”
Participating schools were assessed on criteria including their registration with the Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency’s recycling program and their level of participation. A school’s Green Rating can be improved through introducing ‘Green Ambassadors’, implementing and participating in environmental activities such as exhibitions and clean up campaigns. Training and volunteering are also rewarded.
Evaluations were shared with all schools and graded in the form of recycling symbols on an assessment rating certificate. Five symbols signify the highest form of sustainability participation and one- the lowest.
Sumaya Al Hareb, Director of the Ras Al Khaimah Education Zone, said, “We loved visiting the schools and universities and have learnt so much from the students and teachers. The levels of participation have been truly inspiring and the students serve as an excellent example to all of us”.
Through this evaluation and grading system for schools, Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency is actively encouraging the development of positive, environmentally friendly sustainable waste management practices in students of all ages, and is hoping to create a generation of young people who will truly believe that our environment needs to be protected and that this is the responsibility of each and every citizen and resident.
About RAK Recycles
Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency’s ‘RAK Recycles’ initiative aims to divert 75 per cent of waste from landfill by 2021 by encouraging separation of waste at source.
The RAK Recycles initiative will allow residents, schools, Government entities and businesses to separate items at source. Colour-coded green and brown recycling bags will be distributed in the Emirate to encourage separation of food waste from other recyclable items.
By greatly simplifying the recycling process, RAKWMA aims to divert a massive 75 per cent of waste from landfill by 2021, a target that is in line with the goals of the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
About Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency
The Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Agency (WMA) was reorganized in July 2017 as a part of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah Public Services Department the WMA is responsible for all waste collection, recycling, treatment and disposal of waste in the emirate. WMA’s vision is to make Ras al Khaimah clean and beautiful and to protect the natural resources of the Emirate by implementing sustainable and innovative waste management practices. The agency aims to achieve the highest quality of life for current and future generations of Ras Al Khaimah by reducing waste per capita, diverting 75 percent of wastes from landfills and providing education and awareness throughout the community.