The partnership began with 12 schools near EGA’s operations in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah, and now covers 20 educational institutions as well as home collections.

UAE citizens and residents consume some 660 million aluminium beverage cans in total every year. Only a third are currently recycled, compared to over 95 per cent in leading recycling countries. More than 440 million aluminium cans currently end up in UAE landfill sites annually.

EGA and RECAPP collected 145 thousand used drink cans during the year.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium is essential for the development of a more sustainable society. Aluminium is already one of the world’s most recycled materials, but too much of this valuable material is still thrown away in our country. I thank RECAPP by Veolia and our EGA teams for educating young people about the importance of recycling aluminium drink cans and inspiring a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship.”

Jerome Viricel, General Manager of RECAPP by Veolia said: “Aluminium is infinitely-recyclable, and recycling aluminium takes 95 per cent less energy than making new metal. I am confident that by diverting aluminium waste from the UAE’s landfills and guiding students and residents to the right approach in recycling aluminium, this partnership will further bolster national efforts towards sustainability and strengthen the recycling reflex across the country. This project underscores Veolia’s dedication to ecological transformation, and closely aligns with our ambitious new GreenUp plan that focuses on high-impact solutions while strengthening our decarbonisation commitments.”

RECAPP by Veolia is a member of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, which was founded by EGA in 2023 to bring the company together with can-makers, beverage producers and waste management companies to promote recycling in the UAE.

For Veolia, the can collection and aluminium recycling project represents a significant step to help its customers decarbonise, depollute and regenerate resources, through the deployment of its digital platform RECAPP. The collaboration will also advance Veolia’s mission in the UAE of promoting recycling and sustainable development in keeping with the country’s broader vision for a Net Zero future and its Circular Economy Policy.

EGA is currently constructing the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah, which is expected to have a capacity of 170 thousand tonnes per year when complete.

Yalla Return, developed by Nadeera, is an innovative platform to promote effective recycling by consumers. The programme uses technology as a community engagement tool to encourage and incentivise recycling through a mobile application that is linked to technology-enabled waste collection bins. The programme will now be rolled out to some 4,000 households near Jebel Ali site.

Recycling aluminium takes 95 per cent less energy than making new metal, generating a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, EGA announced the start of construction of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant.

EGA spearheaded the development of an Aluminium Recycling Coalition with beverage can-makers, beverage producers and waste management companies to improve the recycling rate of aluminium cans in the UAE. Some 660 million beverage cans are consumed in the UAE each year, and only around a third are currently recycled.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium is an essential material for human progress, and too much is still thrown away including in communities that live right next to EGA’s plants. Nadeera will help us create more awareness on the importance of recycling among our neighbours, and I am pleased that this partnership means we are extending our cooperation with them.”

Nadeera was a finalist in the first season of EGA Ramp-up, the company’s corporate social responsibility programme to support entrepreneurship as a further contribution to UAE economic growth.

EGA supports communities near its operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi through corporate social responsibility programmes, including sports tournaments, community clean-up drives and recruitment campaigns. EGA operates a hotline for members of neighbouring communities to contact the company with any comments or concerns.

Organized by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the campaign is seeing a remarkable response from the community, displaying deeply-rooted values of giving and generosity and sending a message of hope and solidarity to underprivileged populations everywhere.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign confirms the UAE leadership’s determination to aid and help the needy and vulnerable across dozens of countries, reflecting the UAE’s noble mission. At EGA,we are honored to join these blessed efforts to establish the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund. EGA’s metal is a major UAE contribution to making modern life possible worldwide, and supporting this national campaign is another way we can contribute to positive progress around the world.” 

EGA is the biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world, and the company’s metal is the largest made-in-the-UAE export after oil and gas. EGA’s aluminium is shipped to more than 50 countries. EGA operates aluminium smelters in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, an alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi, and a bauxite mine in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. 

The latest addition to Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives’ projects, the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign joins dozens of organizations and institutional initiatives working within five main pillars: Humanitarian Aid and Relief, Healthcare and Disease Control, Spreading Education and Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Empowering Communities. Such efforts further the impact and sustainability of humanitarian work, instil a culture of hope around the world and support development for a better future.

Donation Channels

The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call center via the toll free number (800 9999). Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802). Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate AED 1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word “Meal” to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by e& users. Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the “Donations” tab.