AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)
For Umm Al Emarat Park and Tadweer Group, clinching the Guinness World Record for the largest mosaic made from recycled materials demonstrated how collective, on-the-ground sustainability efforts can translate into tangible, meaningful impact.
Officials from the two Abu Dhabi entities told Aletihad that the achievement is set to spur the expansion of community-driven green initiatives across the emirate.
Nearly 25,000 plastic bottle caps, organised in 13 colours, along with 41 units of eco-friendly adhesive, were used to create the large sustainability-themed artwork. Behind the record-setting mosaic, however, were 356 volunteers who assembled the caps over more than 18 hours, following six months of bottle-cap collection.
Speaking to Aletihad, Abdulwahed Juma, Executive Director for Communications and Awareness at Tadweer Group, said: "By engaging the public directly in a hands-on reuse initiative, the project reinforces the role of individuals as active contributors within the wider waste management ecosystem."
Juma said that by involving the community in the project, from collecting bottle caps to creating the artwork, the initiative bridges the gap between awareness and action.
"This approach reflects Tadweer Group's strategy for sustainability awareness through community engagement and empowerment, reinforcing the principle that lasting environmental impact begins with community awareness," he said.
The project also comes in line with Abu Dhabi's waste management strategies and the country's broader goal of moving toward a circular economy, he added.
"It directly supports Tadweer Group's strategic ambition to divert 80% of waste away from landfill by 2030 by demonstrating reuse in practice and highlighting the value that can be recovered from everyday materials," Juma said.
Putting the mosaic together was no walk in the park. Rasha Kablawi, official spokesperson for Umm Al Emarat Park, said collecting, sorting, and organising thousands of caps had been one of the main challenges, especially since quality, safety, and colour consistency were prioritised during the process.
"Another key challenge was coordinating the strong level of community participation," Kablawi told Aletihad.
"A total of 356 participants contributed over approximately 18 collective hours, requiring careful coordination to maintain accuracy while keeping the process inclusive. Through close collaboration between partners, volunteers and the park team, the project became a truly shared community achievement."
Juma emphasised that the Guinness World Record was not the endpoint of the group's community-driven sustainability drive.
"Our focus now is on sustaining the momentum created by this project by reinforcing positive behaviours and expanding similar community-driven models into other public spaces and partnerships," he said.
"Tadweer Group will continue to design initiatives that place the community at the centre of delivery, ensuring sustainability becomes a consistent daily practice rather than a seasonal campaign. The model demonstrated through this project is scalable and replicable, and we see strong potential to apply it across different waste streams and engagement platforms."