Lahore School Wins Recycling Award After Collecting 173kg of Used Cartons

Crescent Model Girls High School has received recognition from Tetra Pak Pakistan and WWF-Pakistan after collecting 173 kilograms of used beverage cartons through the organisations’ joint Recycling Awareness Project.

The school emerged as the Central Region winner in the collection competition. In recognition of its efforts, it received furniture made from recycled Tetra Pak cartons, demonstrating how used packaging can be converted into useful products.

The recognition ceremony took place on Thursday, October 29, where participants inaugurated the recycled furniture through a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event also included a presentation highlighting the school’s collection efforts, a quiz featuring Tetra Pak’s mascot, Captain Dubloo, and a mime performance on water conservation by senior students.

According to the organisers, the school collected approximately 12,110 used beverage cartons, weighing 173 kilograms.

Muhammad Bin Shahzad, Sustainability Manager at Tetra Pak Pakistan, said students could play an important role in promoting responsible environmental practices through everyday actions.

He said the partnership with WWF-Pakistan aims to strengthen carton collection and recycling while encouraging young people to make informed choices and contribute to sustainable communities.

Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General of WWF-Pakistan, said the students had demonstrated how environmental awareness could translate into practical action. He noted that meaningful efforts to protect the environment could begin in classrooms.

Meanwhile, Mian Altaf Saleem, Managing Trustee of Crescent Education Trust, thanked both organisations for supporting the initiative. He also appreciated the students and teachers for their participation.

The Recycling Awareness Project has been running since 2017 with support from Tetra Pak Pakistan. According to the organisers, it has included 79 awareness sessions across Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Wah Cantt and Khanpur in Rahim Yar Khan.

Alongside the educational sessions, participating schools took part in a used beverage carton (UBC) collection competition. The activity encouraged students to apply what they learned by collecting and recycling used packaging.

A total of 47 schools contributed to the collection campaign, with Crescent Model Girls High School securing the Central Region title.

WWF-Pakistan’s Environmental Education Department implemented the project as part of its broader efforts to promote environmental awareness and sustainable waste management in Pakistan’s education system.

The initiative combines classroom learning with practical activities to encourage students to reduce waste and promote recycling in their schools and communities.

The organisers also highlighted the growing global waste challenge. The World Bank estimates that annual global waste could increase by 73% by 2050, underscoring the need for more sustainable consumption and waste management practices.

The project aims to introduce students to circular economy principles, where materials are reused and recycled instead of being discarded.