Prepared By: Benoi Nair
Photographer : Sultan Almarzooqi

Plastic waste is one of the most environmental scourges and its high time enterprises take a stern step to tackle it. The largest Consumer Cooperative in the UAE, Union Coop uses biodegradable and recyclable shopping bags, in all its branches to promote environment-friendly shopping experience.

Dubai, UAE:

Mr. Mohammed Berregad, Director of Admin Affairs Dept. said, “We have a responsibility to preserve the natural resources for our future generations, which is why Union Coop in all its branches uses biodegradable shopping bags that are recyclable. Union Coop is very particular about the shopping bags received from Suppliers as a part of the tender process, which should be as per the specifications of ‘Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology’ and the suppliers should have necessary licenses and from concerned authorities, to distribute the same to our valued customers.”

“Union Coop promotes the re-use of shopping bags and at the moment, we are conducting studies aimed at reducing the consumption of shopping bags and improving the happiness of our shoppers at the same time. This strategy is in line with the directions of Union Coop’s senior management to contribute to the preservation and sustainability of the environment,” says Berregad. 

He further called on for the shoppers to take advantage of Union Coop shopping bags, utilize them fully, and motivate them to control the usage of plastic bags to ensure a pollution-free future. The responsibility of preserving the environment falls equally on all entities functioning in the society and controlling the usage of plastic, using healthy substitutes and reusing plastic bags in daily life is one of the many ways of creating a sustainable environment.

Union Coop for its part has been conducting regular training sessions for its Cashiers and Cashier Assistants, to help them assemble products and commodities better. Moreover, the firm has been creating awareness by spreading environmental messages through Cash Registers’ screens installed in all its branches and by participating in environmental events in cooperation with different institutions to maintain a sustainable and healthy environment.