KUWAIT: Faisal Al-Fozan (center) receives the Energy Globe Award from Austrian Ambassador Marian Alexander Wrba (right) and Caroline Adenberger, Austrian Trade Commissioner for Qatar and Kuwait. - Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The Energy Globe Award was given to 17-year-old Faisal Al-Fozan of Kuwait, for his exemplary work on the project 'LOOP'. The award was handed over to him by the Embassy of Austria at the ambassador's residence in Rawda yesterday. Fozan was chosen as a recipient for the award for his outstanding and sustainable recycling project, using recycled plastic materials. "HH the Crown Prince of Kuwait recently underlined the great importance of environment sustainability and spoke about climate change.

I believe that his work will serve as an inspiration to many, especially to the young generation. I am happy with this young man who has the heart and care for the environment," Marian Alexander Wrba, Ambassador of Austria to Kuwait told Kuwait Times. "We want to recognize his effort and his love for the environment. We need more of these people for a better and sustainable future of this world we are living in," he added. He said people are becoming more committed to developing solutions for the most pressing environment problems "and the 'LOOP' project is one of them."

'LOOP' is a company founded by young people. It is the first of its kind in the Middle East where 3D printer filament is manufactured using recycled materials. The project aims to create economic value from waste, and reducing carbon footprint by having local micro-manufacturing of filament to eliminate long distance shipping associated with international deliveries of filament. "This is the first 3D manufacturing of filament in the Middle East," Fozan said. "We recycle plastic waste materials from various sources, and we turn them into filament then eventually turn them into money."

With more than 180 participating countries, the Energy Globe Award is one of the most important environment awards worldwide. Projects from all over the world are submitted, ranging from small and simple initiatives to large scale high-end ones. The national winners of the Energy Globe Award are published in cooperation with UNIDO at www.energy globe.info.