DUBAI // Sharjah’s recycling company, Bee’ah, will be placing 25 vending machines for the collection of plastic bottles, aluminium cans and used light bulbs, throughout the emirate.
The machines will be placed at Sharjah Cooperative Society outlets and other locations, with people who recycle their waste given access to special offers and discounts from a loyalty programme run by the company.
In a move to encourage more recycling, Bee’ah has also launched a month-long awareness campaign.
“Bee’ah is providing the education initiatives and programmes to tackle local waste challenges to help our communities,” said Khaled Al Huraimel, Group chief executive of Bee’ah.
“The residents of Sharjah and the UAE have only begun to realise the urgent need for solid waste solutions and this campaign will encourage community members to become active participants in efforts to reduce waste through recycling.”
As a result of last year’s campaign, the company reported a rise in residential recycling levels from 40 per cent to over 52 per cent.
Bee’ah will also place special information kiosks at various locations around the emirate, including 10 branches of the Cooperative Society, the American University of Sharjah and two malls.
“We are optimistic that this campaign will educate our shoppers – young and old – about the importance of waste reduction through reusing and recycling,” said Abdulhamid Bukashem, Senior Manager at Sharjah City Centre, where an information campaign is running.
About 1.8 million tonnes of waste of all types is produced in the emirate annually. In 2011, Sharjah announced a zero-waste to landfill plan, which it hopes to achieve through a combination of recycling and incineration of waste.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
