By Ghadeer Ghloum

KUWAIT: Given the global climate crisis and Kuwait’s situation in particular, embracing new habits and lifestyles that benefit the environment has become necessary to secure a sustainable future for ourselves and the coming generations. It is no longer a matter of individual choice, but rather part of the social and humanitarian responsibility that every individual must participate in. Among multiple lifestyle changes that people can follow to help the environment recover, recycling is one of the most significant methods that is a simple but effective way to make a positive impact on the world around us.

As individuals, we can all take responsibility for our actions and develop the habit of recycling in our daily lives. To encourage environment-friendly habits and take a closer look at this lifestyle, Kuwait Times interviewed Ghadeer Al-Qattan, who recycles most of the things she uses and engages in organic home farming. Kuwait Times: Why is recycling necessary for the environment? Ghadeer Al-Qattan: Because the harmful effects of the huge amounts of waste that are being dumped are increasing and getting worse, and the most obvious of these effects are global warming and air pollution, which pose a danger to all living creatures.

This photo shows a blanket made by Qattan to signify the beauty of being a producer rather than a consumer.

KT: How can recycling conserve natural resources?

Qattan: In my opinion, if the individual is fixed, everything in life gets fixed. Societies that produce huge amounts of waste are made up of non-producing individuals; they are only consumers and have no limits on consumption and extravagance. They depend on others to manage their resources and they have a very weak sense of conserving resources and the environment.

Thus, the first resource we must preserve is the human being. Humans have to learn and understand their role in this life and their responsibility towards the earth and its cultivation. If this level of awareness is reached, our earth will be on track towards healing. Therefore, every person has to begin with themselves.

KT: What are some common misconceptions about recycling?

Qattan: Initially, all misconceptions are a result of ignorance and lack of knowledge. For instance, claiming that recycling is tiring, useless, requires a lot of labor, costly, waste of time, difficult to implement, “we are not used to it”, “I personally do not need it”, “my family will not accept it and will not help me apply it” and so on...

Kuwait Times: What is the recycling process and how does it work?

Qattan: For me, it is love and a sense of responsibility towards the earth, and appreciation and gratitude for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. It is the opposite of consumption, which is production. It is transforming something that is not used to something that is very useful and beneficial. It is contributing to reducing risks to the environment, even if it is a very modest contribution.

KUWAIT: Ghadeer Al-Qattan wears a piece that she has sewn herself to encourage creating rather than consuming.

KT: What are the elements that you usually recycle?

Qattan: Because I use two methods of composting and vermiculture, I recycle all food waste in all its forms, whether raw or cooked vegetables or meats or dairy products. I also recycle garden waste, including fallen leaves and pruned and removed plants, as well as tea, coffee, paper and carton waste, unusable grains, legumes, flour and eggshells.

KT: What do you do with hazardous waste items such as batteries?

Qattan: Before the coronavirus pandemic, I sorted all household waste such as plastics, metals and other items in separate containers, and all my family members and household workers began to implement this. I then contacted the relevant authorities to receive the waste. However, during the pandemic, waste collection stopped, so I just recycled what I mentioned before using my composting and vermiculture methods, but unfortunately, I threw batteries in the trash. I should take a serious step in this matter and change this behavior!