ع
Minister of State for Development and Sustainability Affairs Reem Al-Fulaij has agreed to patronize the fourth edition of the Your School’s Wish competition for government schools, an initiative designed to instill habits of sorting and recycling plastic waste at the source while embedding concepts of environmental sustainability among students. The Kuwait Times reported that the announcement came during a meeting on Sunday when Al-Fulaij received Sana’a Alqemlas, the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Omniya PET recycling project, along with chief operating officer Farah Shaban. Discussions at the meeting also explored avenues for enhanced cooperation on national projects aimed at cutting waste volumes and advancing the circular economy in line with broader development goals.
The competition focuses on schools across various educational levels from kindergarten through secondary, building on the success of prior editions that have scaled up participation significantly. According to a report in Al Jarida, the third edition saw 156 schools collect 264 tons of plastic waste over six weeks, which was then recycled through specialized channels. That volume helped avoid 660 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and freed up 792 cubic meters of landfill space, figures that underscore the program’s growing impact on Kuwait’s waste management landscape.
Al-Fulaij’s backing adds high-level government support to the effort, which operates under the supervision of the Environment Public Authority and in coordination with the Ministry of Education. The Times Kuwait detailed how the third edition honored winning schools across kindergarten, primary, intermediate and secondary categories, recognizing institutions such as Ahad Kindergarten and Saleh Shehab Boys’ Secondary School for their collection achievements. Organizers have opened registration for the fourth edition through the Omniya website, with an accompanying exhibition scheduled at Al Avenues Grand Plaza from September 17 to 30 to recruit additional participants.
Omniya, a non-profit entity focused on PET recycling, has distributed collection bins across dozens of sites around the country and developed an application to help schools and communities locate them easily. A statement carried by Kuwait Times noted that the meeting highlighted ways to back initiatives contributing to reduced waste and the circular economy as part of achieving long-term national objectives. Previous rounds of the competition have demonstrated that engaging students directly leads to measurable reductions in plastic entering landfills while fostering lifelong environmental responsibility.
The fourth edition arrives amid a series of similar programs that have expanded environmental education in Kuwaiti schools over recent years. Times Kuwait reported on a separate e-waste initiative that collected more than 5.5 tons of electronic waste from 12 schools in 2025, illustrating parallel efforts to address different waste streams through student involvement. Such programs align with directives from the Environment Public Authority to integrate sustainability principles into the curriculum at all stages.
Registration for the new cycle emphasizes wider participation from government schools, with organizers aiming to surpass the 156 institutions that joined the previous round. The Environment Public Authority has repeatedly stressed the importance of early education on recycling to build a culture of sustainability, according to statements published in local outlets. Al-Fulaij’s patronage is expected to encourage even greater engagement from both schools and partner organizations in the months ahead.
