As part of Bahrain Bourse’s (BHB’s) efforts to promote ESG, BHB announced that it has embarked on an “E-waste Recycling Initiative” in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) and Crown Industries (recyclers of metals and plastics). The initiative aims to raise awareness about electronic waste and promote proper recycling of end-of-life electronics used by Bahrain Bourse and Bahrain Clear to ensure their disposal in an environmentally responsible manner.

Within our efforts to promote sustainability, we embarked on this initiative to raise awareness on how to properly recycle electronic goods that will help in safeguarding the environment. We are also working on various aspects to promote ESG reporting and disclosure, as we look forward to lead by example following the issuance of BHB’s ESG Guidelines in June 2020.

The definition of e-waste is likely to keep expanding. In an era of rapid technological advancement, more and more highly sophisticated electronic goods are being invented and manufactured. Hence, the Electronic Waste (E-waste) refers to unwanted and discarded electronics such as mobile phones, computers, and televisions, and other personal electronic equipment. Each year, more and more electronics are manufactured, bought, used and then discarded, making E-waste the fastest growing waste stream in the world, producing 70% of society's overall toxic waste.

Bahrain Bourse has extended this initiative to it employees to place any unwanted or expired electronic waste in a designated E-waste drop box, collected frequently by Crown Industries, the pioneer recycling operation in Bahrain, whom will then export the items to various recycling facilities in accordance with international standards.

It is also worth noting that Bahrain Bourse signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Supreme Council for Environment to enhance areas of joint cooperation and issues of mutual interest between Bahrain Bourse and the Supreme Council for Environment in areas related to environmental conservation and protection.