Volunteering in Oman: giving a little, getting a lot... (Part II)

Muscat- Earth Hour Event with Oman Environmental Society

Free T-Shirt with the society's logo

The second volunteering opportunity posted on the board at CIL was an event with the Environment Society of Oman who were putting on an event raising awareness about Earth Hour and the environment in general. We were the same group to sign up to do it again; they said we were the kind hearted ones, but maybe we were just the ones who wanted something to do on the weekend...

The event was to take place at a golf club at The Wave, an expat community near to the Arabic centre. The ironic thing about the location of the event was the very well watered green grass of the golf course, but oh well... The event was mainly for families, and there were lots of children's games set out around the area. However, I was in charge of collecting electronic waste and talking to the visitors about this. I was informed about what type of waste was accepted, what happens to the waste once it has been collected. The collection was run by a private company that collects electronic waste on a business level. Many people brought old computers, batteries, printers etc. etc. and even a whole van full of waste was brought along on behalf of a local school. However, I noticed that a lot of people were interested in recycling on an individual level, which is not currently available in Oman, as far as I'm aware.

This lack of recycling has been something that has annoyed me throughout my time in Muscat. So much goes to waste here: paper, plastic bottles, cartons, and everything else I religiously recycle at home. I really hope that the country (or at least Muscat city) opens itself up to widespread recycling facilities in the near future! In fact, the centre where I study now has small recycling bins scattered around, which is at least a step towards better environmental awareness in Oman.

At the event we were provided with free t-shirts, water, and a goody bag with environmentally-friendly bits and bobs in. Once again, I felt like I didn't work that hard, but people seemed to enjoy the event, we received a lot of electronic waste, and awareness was raised for a good cause!

That evening my flatmates and I sat in darkness for Earth Hour, with just the light of our laptops glowing (hmm, maybe we still have a bit to learn about being environmentalists...).