Having arrived in Dubai only a few months ago and being pretty shocked at the lack of recycling facilities/services, I'm determined to make it my New Year's resolution to go green and recycle as much as possible in 2009 . 

Where do I start? Can anyone advise on recycling facilties around Downtown Burj/Trade Centre area? The only ones I've seen so far are at the BP garage nr interchange 1 but these were out of order!

If there aren't any facilities in Old Town yet, there should be soon, as Emaar are normally pretty good for that. Try calling Emaar to ask what will be where and when.

In the meantime, you could try 'across the road' at the Spinneys Centre in Umm Suqeim, where there are bins for paper/cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminium cans. They also recycle plastic shopping bags inside just before you go into the actual supermarket.

Hi Shivers, try checking your nearest Emarat petrol station... I remember seeing some sort of recycling cabin at a station near where I live. Not sure if all the stations have it though.

does anyone know where you can recycle glass bottles here? A friend was asking me yesterday and apparently bottle banks are pretty hard to find in Dubai.

All suggestions welcome...

sorry - just to add - somewhere on the Mirdif/Deira side of town would be preferable. Ta!

Not 100% sure on this, but Spinneys traditionally have bottle recycling bins, so you could try Rashidiya, or even Deira if you ever head into town that far.

It's nowhere near Mirdif (sorry Janer) but The Greens Centre, at The Greens (where Choithram is) has a large receptacle for glass recycling, as well as paper and cans.

Talking of recycling, quite a few recycling bins have popped up along the Beach Road in Jumeira - they're on the beach side of the road, every kilometre or so.

Hi Jane,  I know mirdifmums don't like to venture into the sin-ridden shadows of international city, but each building has recycling bins for glass, plastic and paper. Who knows if they actually recycle the stuff or just dump it in with the rest of the trash, but at least you can keep your conscious clean.

Ha ha Yaqoub - that's fighting talk... I have no worries about coming down to International City! Much better than having to go across town to the Greens

Along beach road there are recycling bins for glass bottles and cans.

Not enough throughout the rest of the city though!