Celebrating Sustainability: The Annual ‘For the Love of the Planet’ 2024

MDX Dubai celebrated the annual For the Love of the Planet (FTLOTP) day on 20 March 2024 hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD), led by Andrew Mackenzie. This eco-conscious event centred on sustainability in the UAE, driven by student solutions to the issues of sustainable fashion, food and design sustainability, and developing a circular economy. Aligned with the objectives set during COP28, the event showcased sustainability solutions and featured a lineup of activities and exhibits presented by distinguished guest speakers, students, and businesses advocating for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This highlighted our university’s’ commitment to responsible education and community engagement.

The day commenced with a fashion styling workshop where students got the opportunity to creatively style a mannequin with repurposed clothing. This was followed by Anamaria Castillo, Landscape Strategies Director, on the role of culture as a driving element for urban design and insights into the topic of designing public spaces that celebrate heritage and culture. The IFP Sustainable Business Solutions Showcase, and presentation were followed by guest speaker Toby Gregory (Row to COP28) discussing the Plastic Pledge and Arctic Ocean Rowing Challenge, where exploration and adventure meet environmental advocacy.

An insightful panel discussion moderated by Anamaria Castillo, Deepthi Chandran, founder Only Ethikal, and Toby Gregory (Row to COP28) delved into the topic of sustainability in their respective industries and the impact of technology. These sessions, coordinated by Alison Burrows and Rory McConnon, offered valuable insights.

The rest of the day was packed with engaging activities such as denim patch workshops and mannequin styling, developing students’ creativity skills and displaying the potential of repurposing and upcycling clothes. This activity ran in conjunction with the clothes drive that collected pre-loved items to be donated to Thrift for Good, promoting the reuse of pre-loved clothes over new ones. It also emphasised MDX’s sustainability goals while reiterating the strength of our Recycle, Reuse, Reduce programme. The fashion styling competition and denim patchwork workshop, spearheaded by Vaishali Raj Sharma and her team, were lively throughout the day.
Later, the event featured video presentations by Digital Media and Fashion students, including a Food Waste Solution Display and performances by the Fearless and Poetry Club, skillfully coordinated by Sana Khan.

In collaboration with Enviroserve, ISD also organised an e-waste and recycling initiative from March 15 to 22, encouraging students and staff to contribute to electronic device recycling efforts. The innovative IFP designs and displays were curated by Ryan Kenneth Stephenson and Matthew Stuart Brown, with design support from Heather Lynn Shipman and Margo Tummel.
As Toby Gregory rightly mentioned, “One person can make the difference. And everyone should try.”

To find out more about the sustainable initiatives of MDX Dubai, visit https://www.mdx.ac.ae/isd