Story
21 July 2026
Saudi youth pitch ideas to turn waste into opportunity at the UNDP Summer Academy
From competition to Summer Academy
In June, Saudi Youth Society held the fourth edition of Youth Speak & Compete, from 11 to 13 June 2026. Five teams pitched ideas for the Sustainable Development Goals to a judging panel that included UNDP Programme Coordinator Rawia Salih. The two winning teams were selected for a month with UNDP through the UNDP Summer Academy Training Programme, which UNDP runs in partnership with Saudi Youth Society.At the end of the academy, the teams presented their proposals at UN House. Experts from UNDP, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reviewed the proposals and questioned the teams.First place: a second life for clothes
The winning team proposed a way to reduce fast fashion waste using delivery networks that already exist. Under their idea, customers receiving an online order would hand unwanted clothes to the delivery driver, and charities would sort them. Wearable items would be passed on, and damaged textiles would go to recycling, where they could become thermal and acoustic insulation for buildings.Second place: a roadmap for e-waste
The second team proposed a national roadmap for electronic waste, built around a digital platform that would connect consumers, recyclers, private companies and government. Under the proposal, devices would be registered, assessed and sent for refurbishment, parts recovery or certified recycling of materials such as copper, aluminium and plastics. The team demonstrated the concept with a live barcode scan and suggested starting with a pilot in Riyadh.The proposed roadmap has six pillars:policy implementationcollection infrastructuredigital innovationpublic awarenessrecycling capacitydata managementThe experts’ questions
The panel pressed the teams on product design, repairability, producer responsibility and consumer behaviour. Both proposals started from one principle: what is considered waste can become a resource.In their own words
At the end of the programme, the participants spoke about what they learned during their month with UNDP.
Participants of the UNDP Summer Academy 2026 share their experience. Video: UNDP Saudi ArabiaThis story is based on press releases first published by UNDP Saudi Arabia: From Waste to Opportunity and Youth Speak & Compete 2026.
In June, Saudi Youth Society held the fourth edition of Youth Speak & Compete, from 11 to 13 June 2026. Five teams pitched ideas for the Sustainable Development Goals to a judging panel that included UNDP Programme Coordinator Rawia Salih. The two winning teams were selected for a month with UNDP through the UNDP Summer Academy Training Programme, which UNDP runs in partnership with Saudi Youth Society.At the end of the academy, the teams presented their proposals at UN House. Experts from UNDP, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reviewed the proposals and questioned the teams.First place: a second life for clothes
The winning team proposed a way to reduce fast fashion waste using delivery networks that already exist. Under their idea, customers receiving an online order would hand unwanted clothes to the delivery driver, and charities would sort them. Wearable items would be passed on, and damaged textiles would go to recycling, where they could become thermal and acoustic insulation for buildings.Second place: a roadmap for e-waste
The second team proposed a national roadmap for electronic waste, built around a digital platform that would connect consumers, recyclers, private companies and government. Under the proposal, devices would be registered, assessed and sent for refurbishment, parts recovery or certified recycling of materials such as copper, aluminium and plastics. The team demonstrated the concept with a live barcode scan and suggested starting with a pilot in Riyadh.The proposed roadmap has six pillars:policy implementationcollection infrastructuredigital innovationpublic awarenessrecycling capacitydata managementThe experts’ questions
The panel pressed the teams on product design, repairability, producer responsibility and consumer behaviour. Both proposals started from one principle: what is considered waste can become a resource.In their own words
At the end of the programme, the participants spoke about what they learned during their month with UNDP.
Participants of the UNDP Summer Academy 2026 share their experience. Video: UNDP Saudi ArabiaThis story is based on press releases first published by UNDP Saudi Arabia: From Waste to Opportunity and Youth Speak & Compete 2026.
