Emarat launches major environment-awareness campaign
Posted: 23 March 2005
Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat) today announced it had teamed up with Dubai Municipality (DM) and the UAE's Ministry of Education (MoE) to launch a country-wide environment health awareness campaign underpinned by a recycling service operated through 16 of its service stations. The move, which will see the campaign rolled out in schools, parks, shopping malls, the Corporation's service stations and Dubai-sponsored festivals, reflects Emarat's commitment to health and environment protection policies.
To underpin the new initiative the Corporation has installed 30 state-of-the-art Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) at 16 selected service stations. Each RVM has the capacity to sort out, recycle and process 25 tonnes of waste a year, much of which will have an industrial use.
The machines automatically dispense coupons to users entitling them to special offers on products available at Emarat convenience shops - rewarding them for choosing to recycle their waste material.
At a ceremony held at Chicago Beach Service Station in Jumairah, Dubai to mark this latest development, Mr. Hussain Kazim, Manager Corporate Communciations, delivered a speech on behalf of Mr. Rashid Al Shamsi, Emarat General Manager, he said: “Today, we have moved closer to realising the Government’s vision of a cleaner better environment for our people. Recycling is strongly supported by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA).”
Also present as the announcement was made were the Municipality's Eng. Abdullah Rafie, Deputy General Manager, Environment Health and Safety, Mr. Hassan Makki, Assistant Director Environment Health and Safety Department, and Dr. Ibrahim Al Sakkar, Director of Sports & Health Activities , representing the Ministry of Education, and Mr. Lars Rad Berg, Managing of Nordic House, and Mr. Mohammed Abdulaziz, Manager Corporate Health, Safety and Environment of Emarat.
Mr. Hussain Kazim confirmed that this latest initiative is one of the first of its kind in the region. He said there was a need for it since high standard of living in the UAE has resulted in the level of garbage it produces being one of the highest in the world, and increasing at an annual rate of 9.5 per cent in Dubai alone.
He added that today's launch was only one of many such initiatives Emarat will be pursuing in line with its policy of supporting environment protection and increasing public awareness of the need for action. Related initiatives include stringent controls on lube and carwash facilities at its service stations and immediate collection, transportation and disposal of waste oils and materials to avoid pollution.
Mr. Kazim added: “We are looking forward to the future with confidence and a determination to ensure environment safety and health stops being an issue and becomes a matter for pride. Each of us is equally responsible for the wellbeing of our society. We all have a responsibility to make sure that this topic remains at the forefront of the consciousness of our society."
He said Dubai Municipality had contributed a great deal to environment awareness through its agricultural, gardening and plantation projects aimed at increasing green areas and natural reserves aimed at preserving the ecosystem in Dubai and the UAE.
He said the Ministry of Education was playing its part by making environment-related issues part of the curriculum for pupils.
Mr. Kazim thanked participating organization that were helping make this project a success through posters on RVMs, These included McDonald’s, Pepsi Cola, Axiom Telecom and Mars, in addition to Gulf Alloy which will buy the machines’ waste.
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