Thursday 16 / May / 2024
Muscat: On World Wildlife Conservation Day, Cheltenham Muscat school and Oman Sail proudly set a new Guinness World Records™ title for the “Largest Plastic Bottle Sentence”. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the global issue of plastic waste and emphasize the need for collective action to reduce, reuse and recycle.
The attempt, conducted over two days in the school Sports Hall, involved five weeks of collecting household bottles, beach and wadi clean-ups, and garnered extensive support from the local community, including contributions from local hotels and the Environment Society of Oman.
Simultaneously, Cheltenham Muscat school officially launched its international conservation programme, "Project Earthlings" with the “Largest Plastic Bottle Sentence” spelling out “Project Earthlings has launched from Oman!”. Oona Carlin, the Executive Principal of Cheltenham Muscat school, shared “It has been a wonderful community event and achievement to break a prestigious Guinness World Records™ title on World Wildlife Conservation Day. Cheltenham Muscat school pupils, staff and parents, along with Oman Sail and the wider community have worked together to raise awareness of the challenges and dangers of plastic waste as well as using this as a launch activity for an ambitious school initiative called “Project Earthlings”. Our pupils are conservation savvy; they are concerned about their environment and protecting it for future generations and “Project Earthlings” will allow them to be involved and to make a real difference.”
Executive Principal of the Cheltenham Muscat school, Oona Carlin and Oman Sail CEO, Dr Khamis Al Jabri, received the official certificate from Mr. Pravin Patel, Guinness World Records™ Adjudicator at a ceremony attended by the Guest of Honour H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Shura Council. Mr. Patel expressed his delight at returning to the beautiful Sultanate of Oman, reminiscing about Oman Sail's previous Guinness World Record™ title in 2021 for the "Most Nationalities Collecting Litter."
The existing record for the “Largest Plastic Bottle Sentence” was 11,939 which was achieved in Mumbai, India, on 10th October 2022. Mr. Patel commented, “Cheltenham Muscat school and Oman Sail didn’t just reach their goal of 24,000 bottles, they obliterated it, with 32,316 bottles placed. The largest letter was the “O” in Oman with 1,613 plastic bottles. It’s extremely topical that Cheltenham Muscat and Oman Sail have achieved this Guinness World Records™ title with Dubai currently hosting the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28.”
Dr Khamis Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “This is a great achievement for a very worthy cause. Oman is blessed with wonderful landscape and is home to several rare species of wildlife, but there is a huge risk that this is spoiled by dangerous materials entering the ecosystem. To raise awareness of the dangers of plastic waste and achieve a new world record for Oman is an important message for the local community and the world. We must continue to do all we can to recycle, dispose of our waste appropriately, and protect our natural environment.”
Expressing gratitude to the Cheltenham Muscat School staff, students, and Oman Sail team, Dr Al Jabri affirmed their commitment to championing this cause. "We will persist in our efforts to create a more sustainable and responsible future for the community and our nation," he added.
On this special day, Cheltenham Muscat School and Oman Sail extends their gratitude to its pupils, families, teachers, staff and sailors, and the local community for their unwavering support and reminds everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle.
