From book shops to energy groups, firms fall in step with green cause

Dubai: Efforts to stop plastic entering the environment are being made by many business sectors in the UAE in the lead up to World Environment Day, which is observed on June 5.

Book lovers with an environmental conscience will be rewarded with loyalty points from Magrudy's book shops every time they reuse a jute bag purchased from one of their stores.

Magrudy's is launching the completely biodegradable jute bag to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5.

This month the store is replacing its current range of paper bags with exclusive branded book bags made from jute, a biodegradable material that is strong, waterproof and reusable.

Loyalty card members will gain an extra 10 points every time they bring their own book bag. The jute bag will cost Dh8, and paper bags will cost Dh1, which will go towards tree planting in sustainable forests.

Blue Fair

Mia Santiago, marketing manager of Magrudy's, said she expects the public to receive the new jute bags with negativity initially as the cost will surprise them.

"Most customers want a greener environment so in the end I am sure they will accept it. We have been building awareness for the last two weeks," said Santiago.

Ibn Battuta Mall is holding a Blue Fair on World Environment Day, a three-day exhibition to support environment-friendly initiatives under way in Dubai.

The fair, from June 4, to be held between noon and 8pm, will open with a screening of the critically-acclaimed documentary The 11th Hour.

The events to mark World Environment Day come only two weeks after Gulf News broadened its campaign against the use of plastic bags and urged people to 'Go Green'.

Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) has launched a plastic collection drive in association with its vendors across the UAE to collect as much non-biodegradable waste as possible for recycling.

Saeed Abdullah Khoury, Enoc Group Chief Executive, said: "Reducing non-biodegradable waste is a global challenge that calls for more efforts and Enoc considers it our responsibility to contribute significantly towards such efforts. "We make sure that whatever we do within our offices or across our operations is environmentally and ethically correct. Through initiatives like this plastic collection drive we are trying to involve our partners and customers in tackling environmental challenges." People can now dispose of all dry plastic material, such as empty bottles, bags and sheets, in the bin provided by Zenath Recycling and Waste Management at all offices within the Enoc complex in Dubai.

Enoc has been collecting waste paper for recycling since June 1, 2006.

Real estate sector

In the property sector, Sherwoods, a Dubai-based property consultancy, has been reducing its use of plastic. At both the recent Worldwide Property Show and Cityscape exhibition in Abu Dhabi, visitors to Sherwoods' stall were encouraged to swap their plastic bags for eco-friendly carriers.

Jacky's Electronics is also supporting the environmental efforts and introduced jute bags instead of plastic bags to demonstrate their strong intention to use environment-friendly reusable materials.

Initiative: Recycling computers

Dubai Internet City (DIC) has made a significant contribution to numerous recycling drives in the UAE to mark World Environment Day on June 5.

One programme is a joint initiative with Dubai Municipality, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Foundation and Microsoft Corporation, to recycle computers and mobile phones.

Malek Sultan Al Malek, Executive Director of DIC, said: "The increasing pressure to keep pace with the incredible progress of technology necessitates commercial enterprises to frequently replace existing computers with advanced models.

"As our gesture to mark World Environment Day, DIC has urged all business partners to adopt responsible measures and donate outdated IT equipment, including mobile phones and batteries for the less privileged."

DIC will donate 102 used desktop monitors, 73 central processing units, 53 laptop computers, 24 printers and a host of other computing equipment to several worthy causes across the country, including educational institutions and charity organisations.

- Staff Report