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RIYADH: Waste, be it food waste, plastic, or industrial byproducts, has severe negative effects on the environment, human health, and economies.

Globally, food loss and waste amount to more than 1 billion tonnes of all food produced every day, according to the statistics division at the United Nations. This crisis not only squanders water, land, energy, and labor but is also responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, food loss and waste contribute between 8 percent and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, also stressing land resources and biodiversity, as reported by the UN. Without urgent policy and behavioral changes, global waste generation is projected to grow dramatically.

According to the World Bank, solid waste is projected to increase by 70 percent by 2050 if urgent action is delayed, posing a threat to ecosystems, biodiversity, air quality, water quality, and human health.

In ��������, the scale of waste is also alarming. Saudis generate about 1.7 kilograms of waste per day for each person, according to the Saudi Gazette in 2023, as the country produces about 7 million tonnes of plastic waste a year.

Food loss and waste in the Kingdom account for approximately 33 percent of the food produced, according to the same source, which corresponds to about 4 million tonnes annually, valued at approximately SR40 billion ($10.6bn)

However, according to a 2024 report by the Saudi Press Agency, �������� is moving to address these issues, as the ministry of environment, water, and agriculture has set ambitious targets to recycle up to 95 percent.

Additionally, the country aims to eliminate 82 percent of existing waste sites by 2035 as part of its push toward a circular economy model, as earlier reported in the Saudi

Such efforts demonstrate how the Kingdom is taking increasingly serious steps to reduce single-use plastics, promote recycling, and transform waste into value. One of the green methods to minimize waste is recycling materials into gift products.

Muhammed Tantawy, chief marketing officer of Green Point, in an interview explained how the Saudi-based company is helping organizations shift from wasteful practices toward meaningful, sustainable alternatives, especially in the domain of gift items.

“A forward-thinking company dedicated to providing innovative and sustainable corporate gifts and solutions ... helping organizations adopt environmentally responsible practices by providing products that are functional, high-quality, and eco-friendly," said Tantawy, outlining Green Point’s core values.

According to him, the company values being built revolve around sustainability, innovation, and ethical sourcing. The company prioritizes recycled, renewable, and biodegradable materials to minimize waste, while promoting conscious consumption. This approach enables Green Point to avoid becoming another source of waste and focus on being part of the solution.

Some of Green Point’s sustainable gifts are produced locally, such as essence burners made from natural bamboo, which they believe is the only truly sustainable and eco-friendly wood. Another item made from recycled cotton, or felt, is a tote bag.

Yet, what is more impressive is how the company recycles organic waste, which benefits the environment and is biodegradable.

For example, pineapple skin is transformed into notebooks and leather keychains, and apple peels into vegan polyurethane leather, which makes it a green alternative to animal-derived leather.

The company also processes coconut shells into bowls and cups, in addition to converting coffee beans into vegan leather substitutes.

But what makes Green Point align with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s sustainability goals is how the company supports the national agenda, Tantawy said.

According to him, they are “prioritizing eco-friendly and locally sourced materials and offering solutions that reduce single-use plastics and general waste.”

Even further, the CMO discussed one of their responsibilities towards a greener future, as they are promoting sustainability more broadly by educating clients about the environmental value of their products. This approach involves not just selling an item, but also raising awareness.

“Green Point contributes to building a greener, more sustainable future in line with the Kingdom’s ambitious vision,” Tantawy said.

Overall, ��������’s Vision 2030 is not only focused on economic diversification and infrastructural development; it also emphasizes environmental sustainability while ensuring the establishment of a circular economy.

Because the Kingdom is committed to reducing plastic waste, promoting recycling and restoring degraded lands, and more importantly, increasing environmental awareness throughout society, Green Point illustrates how the private sector can play a role in the transformation process, by using waste and turning it into gift products, keeping practices green as well as ethical.

Through a sustainable approach, the company demonstrates that gifts are not only an expression of gratitude or celebration, but also an expression of care for the environment and the overall community in the Kingdom.

NEW YORK: The international community must take decisive action on the Al-Hol detainment camp in Syria or risk further regional instability, senior UN officials have warned.

The camp, located close to the Iraqi border in northern Syria, is used to detain Daesh militants and their families after the terror group lost swathes of territory in 2019.

Al-Hol houses more than 10,000 foreign militants, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said on Friday at an event held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The camp has become a long-term cause of concern for regional governments and international authorities, with questions looming over the future of its inhabitants.

Rashid told the high-level international conference that 34 countries, including his own, have repatriated their nationals from the camp, but citizens of six countries remain.

He said at least 4,915 families, including 18,880 people, have returned to Iraq from Al-Hol since the launch of his country’s repatriation program.

The New York event, supported by the UN Office of Counterterrorism, was attended by 400 officials from 60 countries, as well as 31 high-level officials from leading humanitarian and multilateral organizations, said Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Rashid said Iraq aims to “reintegrate them (former militants) into their communities and their places of origin,” adding: “We cooperate with international organizations to achieve this objective. Our aim is to ensure them a safe future and a dignified life in their country.”

Most of Al-Hol’s inhabitants are women, and reports estimate that 60 percent of its population is younger than 18.

UN acting undersecretary-general for counterterrorism, Alexandre Zouev, warned that conditions in Al-Hol and surrounding camps are “dire and very alarming.”

He added: “With Daesh attacks and assorted humanitarian actors limiting services, the camps threaten to turn into incubators of terrorist radicalization and future recruitment.”

But the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last year presents the international community with a window to take decisive action on the camp, Guy Ryder, undersecretary-general for policy, told the meeting.

“Whilst the situation in northeast Syria grows more complex with increasing volatility, Daesh attacks and limited humanitarian access, member states have new avenues now to engage directly with different stakeholders and to advance solutions,” he said.

“But that window can quickly narrow, and inaction would carry serious consequences for regional stability and for international peace and security.”

Dr. Mohammed Al-Hassan, UN special representative for Iraq and head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country, said camps such as Al-Hol “shouldn’t exist at all.”

The “prolonged presence” of the camp without any foreseeable resolution is “unacceptable,” he added.

Al-Hassan called for the international community to stand behind Syria and support its extension of sovereignty over all its territory.

“The best service the international community can offer Syria and the Syrian people at this particular stage is for every state to repatriate its citizens and nationals from Syria. Syria has borne more than enough,” he said.

Rashid pledged to share his country’s expertise on repatriating former militants, and called on the international community to “turn the page on this inhumane chapter.” Al-Hol must be emptied of people by the end of the year, he added.

Zouev warned that repatriation is just the first step on a “long journey to break the cycle of violence.”

Countries and communities that repatriate Al-Hol’s detainees must provide extensive rehabilitation and reintegration services, he said.

“In this regard, it’s absolutely crucial not to lose sight of the imperative of justice for victims and survivors of terrorism.”