Environment & Sustainability

Rishabh Mittal, a Year 12 student at Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, has earned the distinguished title of 'Recycling Hero 2025' by the UK-based Global Recycling Foundation, becoming the only recipient from the Middle East this year.

Founder of the youth-led non-profit Going Green Dubai, Rishabh has been instrumental in mobilising grassroots efforts toward sustainable waste management, with a special focus on electronic waste recycling.

Since its launch, Going Green Dubai has facilitated the recycling of:

• 5,645 kg of e-waste

• 17,557 plastic bottles

• 1,323 kg of paper

“It started when I realised that recycling is something people want to do — but accessibility, especially for e-waste, is a major barrier,” said Mittal, explaining how his passion as a tech enthusiast evolved into real-world impact.

From Community Campaigns to Citywide Reach

Rishabh's journey began with a 14-day campaign in Business Bay, collecting 210kg of e-waste. His initiative later expanded to his school and the Innoventures Education network, eventually amassing over 1,000kg of collected e-waste in a single campaign.

A crucial partner in his journey has been Enviroserve, a Dubai-based recycling facility renowned for its secure and environmentally responsible handling of electronics, including safe data erasure and material recovery.

E-Waste Bins in Emaar Malls

One of Rishabh's key achievements was securing e-waste recycling bin placements at high-footfall locations, including:

• The Springs Souk

• Meadows Village

• Meadows Town Centre

These bins have made it easier for residents to responsibly dispose of electronics, directly addressing accessibility, a primary hurdle to recycling.

Inspiring the Next Generation

The Recycling Heroes Competition invited participants worldwide to submit videos showcasing impactful sustainability initiatives. Rishabh’s entry stood out for its scalable vision, community involvement, and measurable impact.

“Rishabh has shown consistent dedication to sustainability since Year 9,” said Hitesh Bhagat, Principal of DIA Emirates Hills. “His campaigns not only garnered community support but also helped our school reach the Top 3 finalists globally for the World’s Best School Prizes 2024 in Environmental Action.”

With aspirations to study Environmental Engineering, Rishabh Mittal is already shaping Dubai’s green future — one e-waste bin at a time.

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