SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Umm Al Emarat Park, in partnership with Tadweer Group, is inviting the community to help set a Guinness World Record by creating a 25 sq. m. mosaic made entirely from recycled plastic bottle caps from December 8 to 12.
During two daily slots (9am-12pm and 3pm-6pm), visitors can enter the park for free with prior registration and place caps onto a design inspired by universal recycling symbols, as they turn everyday waste into a shared community artwork.
The initiative builds on the “Cap Your Way to Sustainability” campaign and supports Abu Dhabi’s wider sustainability goals.
Speaking to Aletihad, Rasha Kablawi, official spokesperson for Umm Al Emarat Park, and Abdulwahed Juma, Executive Director of Communications and Awareness at Tadweer Group, explained how the bottle cap mosaic goes beyond visual impact to create real environmental value.
“This initiative turns plastic caps that would typically end up as waste into a meaningful public artwork, making the environmental message tangible and visible.
“By inviting the community to actively take part and transform recycling from a concept into a shared experience, we help our visitors understand the value that can be created from reuse. It also highlights how small, consistent actions can lead to meaningful environmental change,” they said in a statement.
“The bottle-cap mosaic brings the principles of the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover – to life in a way the community can easily understand and contribute to. It shows how everyday items can be reused and recovered instead of being thrown away.”
The impact of the initiative will be measurable.
“We can track the number of plastic caps and bottles separately diverted from waste bins and the hours of volunteer support, as well as the number of individuals who participated,” they said.
Beyond the record attempt, the mosaic is designed to be impactful long after the event.
“The mosaic is designed to remain useful and visible as a symbol of responsible waste recovery. It will be displayed at Umm Al Emarat Park throughout the season so that visitors can continue to engage with its sustainability message.”
The plastic caps used in the artwork will be collected and directed to the appropriate recycling streams, ensuring they are repurposed rather than discarded.
To sustain engagement beyond December 12, reverse vending machines (RVMs) and plastic bottle cap collection boxes will remain permanently at Umm Al Emarat Park, so visitors can keep contributing long after the mosaic is complete.
While the Guinness World Record would be a milestone, it is not the ultimate goal.
“Our goal is to create a shift in mindset, not just complete a record; and that long-term change is what we value most,” they said.