Emirates Launches Dubai's Largest Corporate Recycling Programme

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, 11/30/2008 - The Emirates Group has embarked on what will become the largest recycling programme for a Dubai company with thousands of employees embracing paper, cardboard, plastic and aluminium recycling. At the Emirates Group’s headquarters building, recycling bins and collection points have been put at desks, kitchens and in specially-designed car park recycling centres to allow staff to drop off materials from home for recycling. Almost one tonne of paper was collected for recycling in just the first three days of the programme. Andrew Parker, Emirates’ Senior Vice President - Public Affairs & Environment said: “The Emirates Group is committed to acting sustainably and to continue improving our environmental performance. This latest recycling programme is just one of the many initiatives being undertaken across the company. Recycling helps reduce consumption of the planet’s resources, and the combined efforts of our 33,500 staff in the UAE can make a difference.” Emirates has partnered with the Dubai-based Paperchase International to launch the programme in its Dubai Headquarters, and will soon expand the programme to Emirates’ other Dubai-based buildings. This recycling project is part of the Group's Emvironment campaign to show leadership on environmental performance and awareness. The Group's Dnata offices had earlier embraced their own recycling campaign and many Emirates offices around the world already have recycling programmes. Last month, a team of Emirates Group employees won the Environment Trophy at the prestigious 2008 Idea of the Year UK awards, for devising and implementing an innovative programme to segregate and recycle newspapers offloaded from Emirates aircraft in Dubai. This initiative will result in over 2,000 tonnes of paper recycling in its first year and therefore save 39,000 trees and 16 million gallons of water. Emirates’ commitment to the environment began well before it was considered fashionable, when it sponsored the creation of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and Al Maha, the conservation-based luxury in 1997. Dnata has also led and participated in many environmental initiatives in the UAE, including recycling, waste management and community partnerships. Emirates Flight Catering recycles over 100 tonnes of waste a month. Our flight operation professionals are pioneering ways to fly more efficient routes, reduce onboard weight, and manage fuel use with the latest technologies, to save fuel and reduce emissions. Recycling facts: • Around 35 per cent of typical refuse in Dubai is paper (newspapers, magazines packaging, cardboard). • Paper recycling reduces forest degradation and soil erosion. Recycling one tonne of newspaper saves about 12 trees, and recycling one tonne of printing and writing paper saves 24 trees. • It is more energy efficient to recycle paper than to manufacture virgin paper. Recycling a tonne of paper saves about 4,000kwh of electricity, or enough electricity to power a three-bedroom house in Dubai for four months. • Recycled paper saves water. Recycling one tonne of newspapers saves more than 30,000 litres of fresh water. • Paper recycling reduces air pollution by 72 per cent as compared to manufacturing virgin paper. • Recycled plastic is often made into 'eco-fleece' that is used to stuff pillows, duvets, ski-suits and sleeping bags. It can also be woven for use in synthetic carpets. • Approximately 88 per cent of energy is saved by producing plastic from recycled plastic as opposed to plastic from the raw materials of oil and gas. • Plastic containers can be recycled into plastic lumber for picnic tables and benches, carpet fibre, clothing, automotive parts, paint brushes, and more plastic bottles. • Approximately 95 per cent less energy is needed to make aluminium from used cans rather than from the raw material bauxite. Every aluminium can recycled saves enough electricity to light a 100 watt bulb for 3.5 hours. • Aluminium cans and aluminium scrap are recycled into new aluminium products including aeroplanes, cars, and more cans.