Spinneys, one of the Middle East’s leading supermarket chains, has partnered with global food and beverage company PepsiCo to launch a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at its sustainable concept store Layan, Dubai.
This initiative, which is committed to making sustainable choices for the future, aims to increase the recycling rate in the UAE by developing recycling infrastructure, creating better customer awareness and ultimately ensuring that packaging does not become waste.
This in-store recycling machine is part of Spinneys’ ‘Let’s Close the Loop’ campaign, providing customers with an easy solution to responsibly dispose of their plastic waste, and enabling materials to be reused or recycled. An important goal is to convert plastic waste that can be used for the production of future FMCG products such as food packaging into recycled content.
Spinneys has partnered with PepsiCo to support its ‘Join the Ripple Effect’ initiative in the face of a serious need to prevent the dumping of plastic waste into the environment. The goal is to ensure that plastic waste is never becoming waste in the future through the responsible collection of plastic waste.
The plastic bottles that RVM collects are recycled by local manufacturers DGrade, which adds new value to the waste material. For single-use plastic collected from the Layan store, DGrade will use its GreenspunR yarn to make sustainable clothing, including polo shirts for Spinneys’ employees to wear in stores.
Sunil Kumar CEO – Spinneys
“Spinneys’ ‘Close the Loop’ campaign underscores our commitment to strive for a circular waste management system and support the growth of the recycled plastics sector. One of our key goals is to deliver the best sustainable practices, so the more we can do in our stores, the easier we make it for our local customers to help drive action for change too. This partnership with PepsiCo is a perfect example of how we can do better, together to help save our planet.”
For his part, Mr. Aamer Sheikh, CEO PepsiCo Middle East, remarked that “We are delighted to partner with Spinneys on this important initiative. Through our global PepsiCo positive (pep+) framework, we are committed to building a circular and inclusive value chain – driven by our efforts to reuse, recycle, and reinvent. Over the years, we have invested in several initiatives including the commitment to collect and recycle the equivalent of all Aquafina packaging produced in the UAE in 2021, and partnerships with local waste management companies, to improve waste segregation and recycling. No one company or industry can alone drive the change needed to achieve a circular economy but working collectively to increase recycling rates is key to paving the way for a more sustainable future for us all.”
In an effort to successfully transform the economy into a circular economy, the UAE’s integrated waste management strategic targets include 75 percent municipal waste treatment by 2025 and 85 percent by 2035. The UAE also aims to reduce municipal solid waste generation to 1.4 kg per person per day by 2025 and 1.2 kg per person per day by 2035.
To get there, Spinneys says all stakeholders in the food production industry need to be re-thinking their food and waste systems as well as packaging optimization. In addition to the in-store plastic collection plan, Spinney’s sustainability goals include a 30 percent reduction in own-label packaging and a 40 percent increase in the number of renewables used in packaging.
Customers who visit Spinneys Layan store and recycle at least five plastic bottles can enter directly into the monthly prize draw. Winners will get Spinneys shopping vouchers and an opportunity to dine at a luxury hotel in the UAE. The first dining prize is a meal for four at award-winning BOCA, renowned for its sustainable approach to sourcing and waste management based on DIFC.
