Aldar Education, the leading education provider in Abu Dhabi and among the prominent educational groups in the UAE, is bringing together more than 42,000 students and teachers for a group-wide collection drive aimed at extending the life of everyday items to support communities in need and encourage more responsible consumption.
Running from 30 September to 30 October, the campaign will invite Aldar Education school communities to donate items they no longer need, including school uniforms and other textiles, school bags, toys, books and selected electronic devices, encouraging students to think differently about consumption, waste and their individual responsibility towards society and the environment.
The campaign is being delivered through a network of specialist partners to ensure each category of donation is directed towards the most appropriate reuse, redistribution or recycling channel. School bags, books and toys will be collected in collaboration with The Emirates Red Crescent, while school uniforms and other textiles will be channelled through Naseej, the UAE’s National Initiative for Textile Circularity, launched under the directives of the UAE leadership to advance industrial circularity. Selected electronic devices and e-waste will be collected in partnership with The Digital School through its Donate Your Own Device initiative, which aims to expand the reach of digital education to underserved communities worldwide.
Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Education, said: “Building a more circular economy starts with how people think, value, use and reuse resources, and those behaviours are shaped from an early age. Education therefore has an important role not only in building awareness, but in turning that awareness into action. By bringing together more than 42,000 students and teachers and working alongside reputable partners including The Emirates Red Crescent, Naseej and The Digital School, we are creating a practical way for our school communities to contribute to the UAE’s sustainability ambitions while strengthening a culture of responsibility, service and collective impact.”
Dr Waleed Al Ali, Secretary-General of The Digital School, said: “Our partnership with Aldar Education embodies a model of collaboration that brings together the expansion of digital learning opportunities with the advancement of sustainability and social responsibility. Through the ‘Donate Your Own Device’ initiative, we refurbish usable devices and redirect them to serve students in underserved communities, giving these devices renewed educational value while reducing electronic waste. The campaign also provides Aldar Education students and their families with an opportunity to play an active role in creating an impact that extends beyond their schools, while fostering a culture of giving and the responsible use of resources.”
Khuloud Hasan Al Nowais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation, added: “Textile circularity is built through coordinated efforts across the ecosystem. Community participation plays an important role in building awareness and making circular practices part of everyday life, and schools provide a valuable connection to students, families and the wider community. This partnership with Aldar Education brings collection into school communities, making it more accessible for students and families to participate and contribute to keeping textiles in use for longer. Through collaborations such as this, Naseej brings partners together to expand collection pathways and enable circular solutions to scale across the UAE, supporting the country’s wider circular economy ambitions and translating national priorities into practical action.”
By taking part, Aldar Education’s students and families become active contributors to this national effort, gaining a practical, first-hand understanding of how everyday items can be reused, recycled or transformed into a resource for another family while directly supporting a shift towards more sustainable practices nationwide.
Through partnerships with The Emirates Red Crescent, Naseej and The Digital School, all collected items will be donated to communities in need ensuring nothing goes to waste. This will help extend the initiative beyond Aldar Education’s schools, contributing to a much larger national effort and creating a visible link between student participation and wider community impact. Items that cannot be reused will be channelled through appropriate recycling routes, ensuring the campaign delivers both social and environmental value.
The campaign extends learning beyond the classroom by connecting a simple act of giving with empathy, responsibility, service and active citizenship; traits that Aldar Education is keen to instil in every student. The initiative also reinforces a sense of shared national identity among Aldar Education’s diverse student body, representing over 150 nationalities. By participating in a campaign rooted in a UAE-led national vision, students are given the opportunity to feel part of the country’s broader story of sustainability, generosity and community, deepening their connection to the place they call home during their school years.
