Al Meera Consumer Goods Company has launched a special campaign, ‘I am not a Plastic Bag’, to commemorate this year’s International Plastic Bag Free Day, a statement said on Monday.
The campaign was in collaboration with Dukhan Bank and in line with Al Meera’s ongoing efforts and common objectives of both parties to promote sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards a hygienic and clean environment.
International Plastic Bag Free Day, celebrated on July 3, is a global initiative that aims to eliminate the use of plastic bags. The event is part of the Break Free from Plastic Movement, which began in September 2016 and has been joined by nearly 1,500 different organisations.
To commemorate the event, Al Meera launched a special edition of eco-friendly shopping bags for customers to use instead of plastic bags that are harmful to the environment. The bags were made available for customers to use across Al Meera branch network one week prior to the date.
To reduce plastic bag waste during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Al Meera had introduced branded special edition tote re-useable shopping bags under the World Cup and Qatar National Day theme to over 1mn football fans who visited the country for the tournament.
Through its Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) located at various branches across the country, Al Meera has made it possible for customers to recycle over 45.5mn bottles and aluminium cans and has given away rewards points worth QR1mn to members for supporting recycling initiatives.
Yousef Ali al-Obaidan, Al Meera CEO, said: “As a responsible corporate entity, we have made the protection of our environment a major priority in our activities and engagements. We will continue to play our part by raising public awareness to ensure that we all live in a clean and safe community and preserve ecosystem for the generations to come. International Plastic Bag Free Day provides a unique opportunity for us to collectively achieve this goal.
Ahmed Hashem, Dukhan Bank acting Group CEO, said: “We are glad to collaborate with Al Meera for this initiative to ensure that our environment is safe from the negative impact of plastic bags. This partnership is in line with Dukhan Bank’s ESG strategy as well as our shared objectives to promote environmental sustainability. We acknowledge that preserving and conserving the environment for future generations is a collective responsibility of every individual and corporate entity so we are committed to playing our part in this respect.”
