United Arab Emirates: Have you seen this big blue whale in Dubai? – information

Designed to raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation, it was made from over 8,000 plastic bottles and 1,000 plastic bags

An 18-metre blue whale made from plastic bottles and bags is on display in Dubai’s only indoor rainforest, sending a strong message highlighting the urgent need for sustainable practices and waste reduction.

Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, Green Planet partnered with GEMS Legacy School to showcase a life-size blue whale made from over 8,000 plastic bottles and over 1,000 plastic bags. The life-size sculpture took more than 800 hours to raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation.

The Blue Whale’s official unveiling will take place on Monday, June 5th and will be free and open to the public until June 30th.

“Our goal is to inspire guests to take action to reduce waste and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices in their everyday lives,” said Sara Stevens, Green Planet’s director of operations and curator.

“The combined efforts of students and teachers to create a magnificent blue whale artifact using recycled materials is a testament to the power of education and creativity in promoting sustainable development,” she added.

Asha Alexander, CEO and Principal of GEMS Legacy School, noted: “The collaborative effort to create the stunning blue whale artifact, masterfully crafted from discarded plastic, involved the dedicated participation of students and teachers from multiple GEMS Education schools. Our ongoing commitment to climate literacy in schools has been recognized making us a UN CC (United Nations Climate Change): Learning Champion. Inspiring GEMS stories will be set up at UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) in Geneva this October Proud to share on the occasion of our 60th anniversary.”

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), ocean giants are being impacted by one of the ocean’s deadliest predators: plastic pollution.

“Plastic litter pollutes every corner of our oceans, threatens marine wildlife, and even ends up in the seafood we eat. From our local beaches to remote tropical islands and polar regions, plastic is clogging our oceans and killing Wildlife. This is the clearest example of human impact on the ocean,” WWF states on its website.

Ocean plastic pollution harms marine life in two ways: ingestion and entanglement. Currently, more than 11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.Globally, more than 240 wildlife species, including whales, are known to have ingested plastic, which can lead to internal injuries and death

There is a startling prediction that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.

By showcasing the Blue Whale, Green Planet and GEMS Legacy School invite everyone to join in the “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” principle. “Together, let’s embrace sustainable practices that positively impact our planet. Be part of the movement towards a greener, more sustainable future.”