Earth Day 2024, celebrated at KAUST on April 22, provided an opportunity to appreciate our planet and engage people in activities that remind us of our shared responsibility to protect the environment. This year’s theme, “Planet vs. Plastics,” reflected on the threats of single-use plastics and emphasized the importance of minimizing their usage. Joining hundreds of organizations across the globe, KAUST celebrated Earth Day with events and initiatives aimed at environmental education and action.
Panel Discussion: Sustainability in Action: Addressing Waste Management Challenges at KAUST
Students for Sustainability invited four key speakers with different perspectives who contribute to waste management at KAUST. The panel aimed to cover all types of waste generated at KAUST, giving space for different teams to share their role in devising sustainable practices while managing KAUST’s waste. The event highlighted how common goals and targets between KAUST and its service providers can lead to impactful collaborations and waste management outcomes.
Waste Water Treatment Plant open house tour
Facilities Management (FM) Utilities, in collaboration with the International Water Association (IWA) KAUST Student Chapter, organized a community tour of KAUST’s Waste Water Treatment Plant as part of an open house event. The tour aimed to showcase the state-of-the-art plant that uses membrane bioreactors to treat 11,500 m³ of wastewater daily, producing treated sewage effluents that meet World Health Organization (WHO) and international standards, which are used for irrigation around KAUST. The participants gained an in-depth understanding of the plant’s capabilities as well as the meticulous monitoring and tracking systems in place. The visit provided a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and exploring current solutions to the environmental challenges posed by wastewater.
Photos of the tour can be found here.
Cryogenic Carbon Capture tour
A group of around 25 KAUST students, faculty and community members had the opportunity to visit the Cryogenic Carbon Capture pilot, one of KAUST’s strategic projects aligned with reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. This technology can recover CO2 with >99.99% purity from the exhaust gases of fossil power plants, industrial plants (e.g., cement factories), or any process that releases CO2. The captured CO2 can be used in different industries through other KAUST-developed processes such as green plastics. The tour was organized by the Students for Sustainability, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) student chapters.
Nature Walk
The Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Nature Walk attracted many community members. Against the backdrop of the KAUST pier, participants explored KAUST’s local ecosystem. Amidst the mangrove forest, they observed various birds, fish and invertebrate species, like herons, stingrays, and crabs. Using checklists, they documented their discoveries, enhancing their understanding of biodiversity. The event encouraged awareness of local ecosystems and community engagement in environmental efforts.
Rabigh Beach Cleaning
On Saturday, April 27, the KAUST community gathered at Rabigh to participate in a special beach cleaning event as part of KAUST Wellbeing Week and Earth Day celebrations. Participants collected a staggering 372 kilograms of waste from the beach, which were properly segregated and managed by KAUST waste management teams and service provider Averda. The beach clean-up served as a token of appreciation from the KAUST community to the beautiful shoreline of Rabigh.
Plastic vs Nature Art
FM Waste Management collaborated with The KAUST School (TKS) elementary classes to promote a creative project in which 300 students participated, driving awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution. Centred on the theme “Plastic vs Planet,” the children crafted expressive artworks: a tree laden with plastic waste illustrating “Plastic vs Nature” and a shark sculpture navigating a plastic-filled ocean for “Plastic vs Ocean.” Displayed at the school for the upcoming weeks and scheduled for future campus events on World Environment Day and World Ocean Day, students aimed to inspire ongoing efforts to reuse waste and protect our environment.
Crochet & Recycle workshop
A group of approximately 10 students gathered for a hands-on workshop aimed at teaching the art of crocheting and demonstrating the creation of pencil cases from recycled plastic bags. Hosted by Students for Sustainability and the Art Perspective group, the event aimed to showcase the concept of upcycling and offer practical skills for reducing plastic waste. The success of the event underscored the enthusiasm and interest among attendees to explore sustainable practices and creative solutions for environmental conservation.
Artwork Display
FM Waste Management team displayed expressive artworks on campus and Discovery Square to raise awareness about plastic pollution. The pieces aimed to represent the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean by providing the community with an impactful visual representation of plastic accumulation, raising awareness around responsible plastic consumption.
This celebration was a collaboration between Facilities Management, Community Life, HSE, Graduate Affairs, TKS, KEY, IWA-KAUST Students chapter, Students for Sustainability, SPE and SPWLA student chapters, The Art Perspective, and Office of Sustainability.
