If I can save 240 trees from being cut by recycling old papers, you can help solve global warming, deforestation, and other challenges.

Recycling and reusing is the need of the hour.

Unfortunately, many people still don’t take this seriously and assume it isn’t required. Over the past several years, I have developed a keen interest in recycling and here is my short story about this environmentally friendly process.

It started five years ago when I collected newspapers and gave them to my school for recycling. That’s when I realized I should ask my neighbors and collect more papers for recycling. While doing so, I found that many of my neighbors don’t reuse or recycle newspapers, but instead, they throw papers away.

This shocked me. I thought I should do something to raise awareness. I started with a small survey and visited nearly 75-100 families asking all my neighbors about how they dispose of papers which could be reused or given for recycling.

I started campaigning and spreading awareness on how papers can be recycled. I went door to door collecting papers. Since then, there has been no turning back!

I later added plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass bottles etc. in my recycling campaign. I expanded my efforts from my neighbors to my relative’s neighbors, restaurants, and locality.

It’s been five long years and I am really happy when I look back and see how hard I have worked. It may be small steps, but as they say, small drops eventually make an ocean.

I would also like to emphasize how today’s youth can play an important role in recycling. Children have a unique way to get their work done, so it seems only natural that children should lead this campaign about recycling.

Children can start with their own families and neighbors and collect old papers and give it to a recycling campaign. I still remember the first day when I started collecting these recyclables in 2014 when I was just 9 years old. At that time, many people made fun of me and some jokingly called me a “municipality worker.” I took all of those comments positively and continued my hard work in the community.

I have collected more than 14,000 kg of papers, nearly 4000 kg of aluminum cans and more than 6,000 plastic bottles from the past five years. Storing papers, cans and plastic bottles was a hassle at my house as it takes up a lot of space. Loading and unloading these recyclables to and from various places was also difficult.

After all this hard work, my school honored my service with an “Alpha-Econian Award” given for working hard for the environment. I have received this award for the past four consecutive years. I have also won the International Diana Award for creating environmental awareness and in the United Arab Emirates.

The Emirates Environmental Group, a well-known group in the UAE, awarded me for two consecutive years for my highest contribution in aluminum cans. Bee’ah, the UAE’s leading waste management program, also honored me three times for giving the most recyclables to their organization.

These various environmental awards motivate and give me the courage and strength to do more.

Now after four years, some call me a “Green Hero,” “Environmental Guru” or “Recycling Ambassador.”

Even my classmates gave me the name “Mother Earth.”

I feel so proud of my environmental work. This summer break in the UAE, I have decided to collect more and more papers, cans and plastic bottles for recycling. It takes hard work to do great things. Even doing something as simple as recycling can benefit the environment and improve the world.

If I can save 240 trees from being cut by recycling old papers, I think everyone can put in more effort to solve the issue of global warming, deforestation, and other environmental challenges.

Neola Castelino is a grade 9 student living in the United Arab Emirates. She is a young environmentalist and a top recycler of the UAE. Neola has won the prestigious Sheikh Hamdan Award and Sharjah Excellence Award for excellence in education and other talents. She has also won the Diana Memorial Award for her environmental contribution to the UAE. Read other articles by Neola.