These UAE Students Are Fighting Plastic Waste Like Absolute Champs

Who says the younger generation isn’t paying attention? Students from Ajman and Sharjah just proved they’re totally up for solving some of the planet’s toughest problems. At the NextGen Innovator Competition 2024, organized by Ajman Sewerage, they came up with practical, creative, and dare we say, super impressive ideas to tackle plastic waste.

The event went down on November 22 at the Ajman Saray, Luxury Collection Resort, and it was all about the future of sustainability. Students presented their next-level solutions for dealing with plastic buildup at the Ajman Sewerage Biorefinery, which collects waste from all sorts of places (manholes, households—you name it).

Here’s what went down: Out of 20 submissions, the top 10 teams wowed the judges with cool projects like sewer robots, high-tech AI systems to detect plastic debris, and even a vibrating mesh system called VibraMesh. BTW, VibraMesh isn’t just tech-savvy—it tracks waste and alerts teams in real time. Obsessed.

And the winners? Big applause for GEMS Cambridge International Private School, who snagged AED 20,000 and some major bragging rights with their VibraMesh project. Not to be outdone, International Indian School Ajman and Al-Hikmah Private School took second and third places with AED 15,000 and AED 10,000, respectively. Oh, and shoutout to the Best Presenter Award winner from Delhi Private School Ajman, who walked away with AED 3,000.