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Release date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 6:00 AM
Last updated: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 7:18 AM
In a world where tiny pieces of litter often go unseen, 17-year-old Saksham Uboweja is trying to make a difference with his startup, Cygfix. When the young expat noticed that the problem of cigarette butt pollution was going unnoticed, he decided to take action. He founded Cygfix to tackle this environmental issue through impactful awareness campaigns, community cleanups and innovative recycling strategies.
Saksham, a student at GEMS Modern Academy, started his environmental crusade after noticing a worrying trend during a walk in Dubai’s Vilanova neighbourhood. “While larger rubbish like cans and plastic bags were being collected, I saw small cigarette butts piled up all over the street corners,” he recalls. “At first it was just one or two, but it grew to 10, 15, then 30 per spot. Not just in my neighbourhood, but everywhere.”
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Cigarette butts may be tiny, but they are a major environmental problem. “There are about 4.5 trillion cigarette butts scattered around the world,” Saksham told Khaleej Times. “Because they are so small, they are hard to notice and many people overlook them as a major piece of litter.”
Determined to tackle the problem, Saksham launched Cygfix on August 5 last year with the support of his parents, local residents and classmates. “I started by doing research to understand why cigarette butts were such a big problem,” Saksham explains. “Through my research, I found that many people don’t even realise that cigarette butts are litter. They believe they are biodegradable and harmless.”
Saksham’s work began with awareness-raising among groups such as community supporters and school support staff who had little awareness about the impact of cigarette butts. “I spoke to people in the labour camps and school support staff and showed them how widespread this litter is,” Saksham says. “I also got gardeners involved in collecting cigarette butts.”
17-year-old Saksham’s work also involves an innovative recycling strategy: “Cigarette butts have a paper filter and a plastic filter,” he explains. “The paper can be recycled and the plastic can be reused for things like tyres, road materials and even toys.”
Cygfix collects the butts, cleans them, and sends them to eCycleX, a local group that specializes in recycling cigarette butts. “We’ve collected over 30,000 butts so far,” Saksham says. “It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s worth it.” The butts are collected in plastic bottles.
Looking ahead, Saksham plans to expand Sigfix’s impact. “Our goal is to eliminate cigarette butt litter from the environment and promote a circular economy,” Saksham says. “We want to continue raising awareness, improving our collection model and strengthening our community outreach.”
Community participation is crucial to SigFix’s success. “People can get involved in volunteering through our website and social media,” says Saksham. “Smokers can also contribute by becoming aware of proper disposal methods and joining our efforts.”
With the new semester underway, Saksham is trying to balance his studies with his environmental activism. “It’s tough, especially with university admissions season,” he adds. “But we plan to plan ahead and continue the campaign with a few more gaps. This collection model helps us to collect a steady stream of cigarette butts even when we can’t organize a campaign.”
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