"stc" Launches Private Universities Challenge for E-Waste Recycling

Kuwait’s stc telecom operator launched the first awareness workshops as part of the Private Universities Challenge for E-Waste Recycling, organized in collaboration with the Public Authority for Environmental Affairs and the Eco Renewable Energy Environmental Incubator. The initiative aims to raise environmental awareness among students at participating private universities, encourage them to adopt sustainable practices, and highlight the importance of recycling electronic devices while mitigating their environmental impact. Each university hosts an awareness workshop covering sustainability and e-waste recycling, alongside interactive activities in dedicated booths for the initiative.

The official launch of the initiative was announced at an event held at the Public Authority for Environmental Affairs’ theater, attended by representatives from the Authority, the Eco Renewable Energy Environmental Incubator, and several private universities.

The first workshop took place at the Kuwait Technical College (K-Tech), under the patronage and presence of Al-Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ahmad, reflecting the importance of joint efforts between the public and private sectors and educational institutions to support environmental initiatives and promote a culture of sustainability among youth.

The workshop featured participation from several stc employees, who delivered the awareness content, explained key concepts, and presented the company’s efforts and initiatives in this field. The company also engaged with students by offering incentive gifts to enhance participation and encourage the adoption of positive environmental practices.

The pioneering environmental initiative brings together seven private universities: the Arab Open University, Kuwait Technical College (K-Tech), the Canadian College in Kuwait, Box Hill College Kuwait, the Australian College, and the Gulf University for Science and Technology. It includes a series of awareness workshops and diverse university activities. Additionally, stc conducted a special workshop on sustainability with student participation, outlining the company’s concept of sustainability, its key efforts and initiatives in this area, and highlighting its sustainability report, which details achievements, goals, and sustainable practices.

stc employees’ participation in delivering these workshops stems from the company’s commitment to transferring their expertise and knowledge to students and sharing its experience in sustainability. To support this, stc has provided dedicated collection bins within the participating universities to facilitate the sorting, processing, and proper recycling of e-waste.

In its effort to empower youth and enhance their active participation, stc offers university students the opportunity to join the Youth Ambassadors program. This program aims to attract ambitious youth to serve as brand ambassadors within their universities, participate in various events and activities, represent the brand, and engage with fellow students.

The program offers participants more than just practical experience; it also includes a performance-based financial reward system. The value of the rewards is linked to the number of lines that ambassadors help activate, in accordance with the program’s approved terms and conditions.

It also provides them with practical experience to develop communication, marketing, and customer engagement skills, and to build a network of relationships, thereby enhancing their readiness for future professional experiences. In order to enhance youth participation, stc launched a challenge to translate environmental awareness into practical action, involving university students, to encourage them to adopt responsible environmental behaviors and contribute to spreading a culture of sustainability within universities and society. Participating universities will be honored at the conclusion of the initiative, with a comprehensive environmental report detailing the participation outcomes to be presented, alongside recognition of the top three universities according to the established evaluation mechanism.