ABU DHABI: In support of the Abu Dhabi government’s green initiative to protect the environment, all single-use plastics will be replaced with Re-usable shopping bags at all LuLu stores and e-commerce operations starting 1st June 2022. This move was reaffirmed in a market tour by government officials to check the compliance with the new policy on single-use plastic bags at various LuLu Hypermarkets today.
Gracing the VIP market tour, H. E. Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), H. E. Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Business Center, Ahmed Tarish Al Qubaisi, Director of the Monitoring and Inspection Department of the Department of Economic Development (DED) and H.E. Dr. Maryam Hareb Al Suwaidi, Acting Deputy Director General – Operational Affairs of Abu Dhabi Authority for Agriculture and Food Safety (ADAFSA), were briefed by Mr. Saifee Rupawala, CEO, Shabu Abdul Majeed, Retail Director of LuLu Group and other senior officials.
Lulu will promote its reusable shopping bags and jute bags for ease and convenience of shopping and will simultaneously boost the communication channels across its stores for public awareness. These bags are ensured with high-quality and will be replaced for free in case of damage. A (non-branded) reusable plastic shopping bag will also be introduced, which has over 50 micron thickness for durability of use and could be easily disposed and collected for recycling. In addition, shoppers will be encouraged to use reusable bags with exciting rewards schemes and extra discounts and even freebies in return for frequent use of reusable bags.
“We are proud to support the sustainable development and ‘green’ behaviour initiative as a priority for every resident in Abu Dhabi. This initiative is expected to have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of Abu Dhabi shoppers and also the Emirate’s move towards net zero economy by 2050. Our hypermarkets serve a very large number diversified community members every day and their shift to a sustainable and reusable bagging policy will support the environment. We are determined to make it convenient and affordable for our shoppers to join this fight against single-use plastics,” said Mr. Saifee Rupawala.
Prior to this week, LuLu Group committed its support to the implementation of the single-use plastic policy which was launched by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi through signing a voluntary declaration along with major retailers, as represented by Saifee Rupawala, CEO of LuLu Group.
Over the years, LuLu Hypermarket has always promoted sustainable retail behaviour, whether through environment care-focused campaigns, promoting energy-saving appliances, using ‘green’ recyclable packaging and dedicated counters for fast-track service of customers using these incentives in-store. The Group has also used its CSR activities to provide clean and safe water, support typhoon and flood afflicted countries, and amplify the conversation around climate change solutions.
