The planet Earth is for sure a beautiful place to live in. But the question is will it remain a beautiful planet forever? This is where sustainable development comes to the rescue.
UAE has pledged to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. With UAE being the host for COP28, the country has paved way for many initiatives that help the residents live sustainably in the region.
Each of our choices matters in making this world a better place for future generations.
Here are 10 start-ups in Dubai that are making a difference on the planet.
Green Truck
Are you mixing all your waste? Keep the recyclable items aside as these take thousands of years to decompose in the soil. Instead, choose to dispose of them separately.
Green Truck is an initiative by Enviroserve Services LLC, a company popular for recycling electronics and specialized waste materials in the region. Green Truck collects recyclable waste items from residential communities and corporate offices which they then segregate into recyclables and others. The recyclable items are then sent to local recycling factories. The end products of the recycling process are reused as new raw materials. This way you can save the earth from non-degradable stuff that ends up in landfills.
They provide weekly collection of waste from your place. To sign up for this service, there is a monthly fee of AED120.
Dubai Can
Dubai Can is a sustainability initiative introduced by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. The initiative aims at reducing the use of single-use plastic water bottles. This is a non-profit initiative towards ensuring sustainable living.
Plastic water bottles take around 500 years to decompose completely, according to WWF. Around 40 percent of all plastic waste in the UAE is single-use plastics. Dubai Can initiative has been able to cut over 3.5 million single-use water bottles since its launch in February 2022.
Dubai Can initiative has installed drinking water stations all over Dubai. There are around 45 water stations from where people can fill in their water bottles for free. This encourages people to carry their reusable water bottles when traveling around the city and avoid purchasing single-use plastic bottles from stores.
This initiative also helps people in Dubai by giving them access to free drinking water at all times. The quality of water in Dubai Can fill stations is similar to the ones sold at the stores in Dubai. Dubai Can also have been able to create a sense of sustainable living in the region.
To know the locations of the water filling stations, please visit their website.
Thrift for Good
Thrift for Good is a sister company of the Gulf for Good. They aim at making this earth a better place by reducing the number of waste. The fashion industry produces waste at an alarming rate. About 92 million tonnes of waste is generated by the fashion industry worldwide annually.
Thrift for Good collects your items, declutters them, and makes them undergo a thorough washing process before putting them up for sale. They are open to collecting clothes, textiles, bags, shoes, accessories, and books. They give you a store credit with which you can purchase other items from their store. The money they receive from selling your items goes to charity.
You can also purchase clothes, bags, and other fashion accessories from their website for a cheaper price. Thrifting is a good option if you want to buy high-end fashion for a reasonable price. Thrifting also helps save the planet by reducing the amount of fashion waste produced.
You can drop off your items at their store branches in Palm Jumeirah and Times Square.
So We Grow
So We Grow is a startup by two brothers with a passion for helping others. So We Grow helps people in UAE to set up their vegetable gardens on their balconies or courtyard.
A household generates a small amount of compostable waste daily. It could be vegetable peels or leftovers. This waste could be turned into compost and used to grow organic fruits and vegetables in your garden.
The climate in Dubai is not perfect for gardening and that is where we need experts like So We Grow to help you in growing a garden by yourselves. They can also give innovative ideas on growing vegetables in small areas like a balcony or terrace of your home.
Growing your vegetables is good for your health, as well as for the planet. It reduces carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, reduces the use of pesticides, and eliminates the requirement of plastic packaging to a considerable amount.
Kiswa
Kiswa is an initiative to reduce fashion industry waste. They collect clothes free of charge and instead pay you rewards for doing so.
Kiswa UAE collects clothes, bags, bedsheets, and toys from your doorstep. They weigh the products and for each kilogram, you will be paid in cash or coupons. You can place pick-up requests on their website or text them via WhatsApp.
Garments in good condition are sold to other customers while the damaged ones are recycled to produce new raw materials.
Avani
Avani Middle East is a start-up that focuses on replacing plastic packaging with bio-degradable solutions. They produce eco-friendly packaging products made from renewable resources. All of their packaging products fall under the category of biodegradable and compostable.
Avani Middle East also provides options for you to customize their products according to your needs. Avani employs specialized technology to fight the plastic pollution situation our planet is fighting.
They sell eco-friendly containers, coffee cups, bags, straws, and so on. You can buy their products from their website or visit their outlet at Dubai Science Park.
Badia Farms
Badia Farms is an initiative that supports the idea of sustainable agriculture. Badia Farms is the first vertical farm in UAE that provides fresh microgreens and leafy vegetables to stores in the region.
Badia Farms embrace sustainability by employing hydroponics technology and recycled water. They produce fresh microgreens throughout the year, regardless of the season. The microgreens are grown without any exposure to sunlight, soil, and pesticides.
Badia Farms was able to revolutionize the agriculture industry in GCC by solving the food security problems in the region. Energy-efficient and sustainable farming methods are utilized to give the best possible results in farming.
Green Touches
Green Touches is an initiative that came out of a passion for creating a positive impact on our environment and reducing our carbon footprints. Green Touches employs eco-friendly ways to clean your spaces.
They aim at eliminating the use of toxic and harmful cleaning substances that are used in our households daily. Their vision is to make your spaces dust-free and also toxin-free. They provide their clients with traditional cleaning options that are safe and healthy for both humans and the environment.
They provide services like residential green cleaning, business green cleaning, and sanitization and disinfection. You can visit their website to learn more about the alternative methods they use and the services they offer. You can book your slots for the service at their website.
Eco Build
Eco Build is an engineering consultancy that focuses on sustainable designs. The company was established nine years ago and completed over 350 successful projects in the region.
It has been able to reduce 40 million kilograms of carbon dioxide by designing innovative ways to build that do not harm the planet in any manner.
Eco Build is keen on providing high-quality solutions without having to compromise sustainability development. The vision of Eco Build is to create a world where the ‘environment does not need protection’.
Evakind
Evakind is a premium e-commerce platform that sells eco-friendly products. It promotes zero waste and sustainable living. It has a wide range of products that can be used in a sustainable routine.
From soaps to cotton buds everything is eco-friendly and does not cause any harm to the planet. They source cosmetics, cleaning, and homeware from different parts of the world, largely from Europe. They help the shoppers live guilt-free while using these products that maintain the environment and quality standards.
It brings in a lot of small startups that produce these zero-waste products and provides them with a platform to promote and grow themselves.
You can visit their website to check out the wide range of products they sell.
You might not be able to save the earth in one day. But your one small step can surely contribute to the long journey of recovering the planet from the wounds we have caused.
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