Locally-owned supermarket Spinneys in partnership with global food and beverages company PepsiCo has introduced a reverse vending machine (RVM) in its sustainable concept store Layan. Committed to making sustainable choices for the future, the initiative aims to increase the recycling rate in the UAE by advancing recycling infrastructure, building better consumer awareness, and ultimately, ensuring packaging doesn’t turn into waste.
The in-store recycling machine form part of Spinneys’ ‘Let’s Close the Loop’ campaign and provides an easy solution for customers to dispose their plastic waste responsibly and in turn, enables materials to be reused or repurposed. A key vision is for the plastic waste to be converted into recycled content that can be used for the production of future FMCG products such as food packaging.
Sunil Kumar, CEO at Spinneys said, “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.”
Aamer Sheikh, CEO of PepsiCo Middle East said, “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. 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 addition to its in-store plastic collection scheme, further immediate sustainability goals for Spinneys include a reduction of own-label packaging by 30% and an increase in the number of renewable materials used in packaging by 40%.
Customers who visit the Layan store and recycle a minimum of five plastic bottles will be offered shopping vouchers or a luxury food experience in the UAE. The first dining prize to be offered is a meal for four at award-winning BOCA, known for its sustainable approach to sourcing and waste management, based in DIFC.