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Dubai student Rishabh Mittal has been named “Recycling Hero 2025” by the Global Recycling Foundation—the only Middle Eastern recipient of this year’s award. As founder of youth-led nonprofit Going Green Dubai, the Year 12 Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills student has spearheaded community recycling drives that have collected over 5.6 tonnes of e‑waste, 17,557 plastic bottles, and 1.3 tonnes of paper.
Mittal’s passion for e‑waste recycling was sparked by recognizing how many people want to recycle but lack convenient drop‑off points. Partnering with Dubai recycling specialist Enviroserve, he organized his first two‑week collection in Business Bay, gathering 210 kg of electronics. From there, he expanded to his school network, eventually collecting 1,000 kg in a single campaign.
Building on this success, Mittal secured space at Emaar malls—The Springs Souk, Meadows Village, and Meadows Town Centre—to install permanent e‑waste bins, engaging students, businesses, and local residents. His work helped Dubai International Academy become a top-three finalist in the 2024 World’s Best School Prizes for Environmental Action.
The Global Recycling Foundation’s annual competition recognized global leaders in sustainability through short video submissions. Rishabh’s “Recycling Hero” title celebrates his drive to break down barriers to responsible e‑waste disposal and inspire community action across the UAE.
