EAD, Aldar partner to encourage recycling of single-use plastic bottles

ABU DHABI / WAM

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has partnered with Aldar Properties to encourage a culture of recycling single-use plastic bottles.
As part of its Sustainability activities, Aldar will take over eight large Big Zero installations, making it easier for community members to dispose of their single-use plastic bottles, which are then sent for recycling.
The Big Zero installations were first introduced by EAD during the Abu Dhabi Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) last year. These new installations will be placed in eight locations within the Aldar portfolio that experience high footfall, including Abu Dhabi’s largest shopping destination, Yas Mall.
Installations will also be present in a number of Aldar residential communities, such as Gate and Arc Towers on Reem Island, Al Muneera, Al Zeina, and Yas Acres, as well as Aldar Education’s Al Yasmina, Al Bateen and Al Mamoura Academies.
EAD and Aldar are planning to launch an awareness campaign on social media to inform the public regarding the location of the Big Zero installations. The real estate developer and manager has been a prime supporter of EAD’s Mission to Zero campaign, which was launched in June of last year.
Mission to Zero outlines an aspirational target of zero single-use plastic, zero waste, zero emissions and zero harm to biodiversity in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director of Environment Information, Science Outreach Management Sector at EAD, highlighted successful partnerships with the private sector, particularly Aldar, in executing environmental campaigns. Aldar has supported EAD’s Single Use Plastic Policy and Mission to Zero campaign by installing Big Zero installations in their projects. This collaboration aligns with EAD’s goal of eliminating single-use plastic in Abu Dhabi.
Salwa Al Maflahi, Director of Sustainability and CSR at Aldar, emphasised their commitment to protecting UAE’s biodiversity. Aldar integrates environmental concerns into its operational philosophy and utilises its residential and commercial properties to contribute to the Big Zero initiative and EAD’s Mission to Zero campaign. These partnerships complement Aldar’s Net Zero by 2050 plan and its efforts to enhance community well-being.
EAD’s Mission to Zero programme has involved the “Pile it Up” school challenge, an SMS campaign, outdoor advertising, a government Baadr Challenge, and the Big Zero installations, among many other initiatives. To date, EAD has collected
approximately 1,500 kilogrammes of single-use plastic bottles through the Big Zero installations, which were dispersed across Abu Dhabi.