Every quote on this page comes word for word from a Greenly partnership feature, from the people actually doing the work: rehabilitating turtles, reflooding coastlines, running zero waste kitchens and turning plastic bags into backpacks.
Featured voice
On tracking the turtles they release
“Every turtle we release carries a story of recovery and represents a learning opportunity for us. Each one gives us insight into the health of our marine ecosystems, and every turtle we track helps deepen our understanding of marine life in the Arabian Gulf.”
On what a Thrift for Good store is really for
“A Thrift for Good store isn’t really just a shop. It’s a meeting point between people who have something to give and people looking for something different. Between fashion and waste reduction. Between a Dubai wardrobe and a child thousands of kilometres away.”
On why Up-fuse moved from Berlin to Cairo
“The idea was born while studying in Berlin, but Egypt was always where we believed it could create the greatest impact. Cairo has incredible craftsmanship, a vibrant design culture, and also faces significant waste management challenges. We saw an opportunity to connect those realities, to transform local waste into valuable products while creating meaningful work opportunities. Bringing Up-fuse back to Cairo wasn’t just about manufacturing here, it was about proving that solutions to global environmental challenges can be designed and built locally.”
Asked what earned LOWE its Michelin Green Star
“We didn’t set out to win it. When we started, the Green Star didn’t exist. We were the first in the region to get it, in 2022. We don’t actually know what is involved, as there is nowhere to see what they look for. But things we think helped would be composting our organic waste, choosing local suppliers, changing the menu seasonally, and overall just asking what can we do better, and how can we influence the people around us — like our suppliers — to do better.”
On what most visitors miss
“Jubail Mangrove Park is much more than a visitor destination. It is a living and constantly changing ecosystem shaped by the tides.”
On protecting Oman’s frankincense trees
“Protecting existing mature trees alone is not enough if young trees are not successfully replacing them. ESO’s approach is therefore not simply about protecting individual trees. It is about understanding the wider ecosystem and the factors that determine whether frankincense populations can remain healthy in the long term.”
Asked what’s most overlooked at Terra
“Without a doubt, the landscape. Most people come expecting an incredible building, but many don’t realise that the gardens are just as innovative.”
On two years of running an indoor farm
“The truth is, operating an indoor farm has been challenging. We have been hit with multiple infections arising from a lack of air circulation in the space and because we have chosen not to use chemical pesticides. Further, as we were inexperienced in this field, and because the restaurant has taken off quite well, there is a huge gap between the quantities the farm can produce and what the kitchen requires. Having said that, everything we do produce goes to the kitchen but it is very much a work in progress.”
On retrofitting 136 government schools
“This program not only saves energy but also creates a healthy, comfortable classroom environment for students and teachers, making schools living examples of sustainable and innovative educational institutions.”
On the behaviour change they’re really after
“We don’t just want someone to think, ‘I’ll donate this to Thrift for Good.’ We want the bigger behaviour change to become: before I throw this away, can it have another life? Before I buy new, can I buy preloved?”
On how mangroves hold the coastline together
“This makes mangrove-covered areas more resilient to waves and changing coastal conditions compared with exposed shorelines without the same natural vegetation.”
On growing without cutting corners
“The biggest challenge is staying true to our values while meeting increasing demand. Handmade production can’t simply be sped up by pressing a button. Every product requires time, skilled hands, and careful quality control. When demand grows, our solution isn’t to compromise the process, it’s to invest in training more artisans, improving our systems, and planning production further in advance.”
On the thinking behind Terra’s Energy Trees
“Scientists are already exploring ways to replicate photosynthesis, the process plants use to turn sunlight into energy. One day, real trees may even inspire entirely new ways of producing clean energy.”
Asked about the hardest part of a zero waste kitchen
“The things that are hard usually get easier, and then something else takes its place. The hardest part is always needing to be adaptable and push for the next thing to improve on, even after winning awards.”
On making the case that nature isn’t optional
“A big part of our role is therefore not only implementing conservation projects, but also building partnerships, raising funds, engaging the public and helping businesses understand why investing in nature matters.”
Quotes are reproduced exactly as given to Greenly, in interviews or written answers, and link back to the full feature they come from. Features based on summarized conversations, rather than transcripts, aren’t quoted here.