Aster Pharmacy Launches 'Go Green Carry Clean' Initiative To Boost Sustainability In Dubai

Aster Pharmacy's retail outlets in Dubai have launched the 'Go Green Carry Clean' initiative. This campaign aligns with the UAE government's mandate to ban single-use plastics from June 1st, 2024. The initiative encourages residents to replace plastic bags with sustainable and reusable ones for their shopping needs.

The campaign has distributed over 280,000 reusable bags to customers at no cost. Pharmacy staff actively encourage customers entering with plastic bags to switch to the free, durable Aster Pharmacy branded bags. This effort aims to foster a cultural shift towards using environmentally friendly and reusable bags.

Encouraging Sustainable Practices

Mr. N.S Balasubramanian, CEO of Aster Retail, highlighted the potential impact of collective retail action. "As we roll out these reusable bag solutions throughout our Aster pharmacy locations and learn about customer behaviours, we realize the potential of collective retail action. With everyone's motivation, devotion, dedication and teamwork, we will continue to make a difference in creating a more sustainable environment for both the present and future generations," he said.

Aster Pharmacy is part of the Aster DM Healthcare Group and operates over 250 stores in the GCC region. Annually, these stores see a footfall of 10 million people. Over the past five years, Aster Pharmacy has aligned its efforts with the UAE Government's initiatives to reduce plastic pollution by implementing eco-friendly policies in its stores.

Long-term Environmental Goals

Mr. Balasubramanian also mentioned their long-term goal of transitioning to zero-plastic stores. "This is also a part of our long-term effort over the years to transition to zero-plastic at all our stores which saw us transition to paper bags and even turn our stores into eco-friendly stores through interiors being built with sustainable and recyclable materials," he added.

The pharmacy's proactive measures include replacing plastic bags with recyclable paper ones, resulting in 7.4 million paper bags being used annually over the past four years. These efforts are part of Aster DM Healthcare's ESG policy aimed at reducing the group's carbon footprint.

Comprehensive Waste Management

Aster Pharmacy's waste management practices cover various categories such as biomedical, plastic, food, metals, paper, and cardboard waste. Last year alone, they recycled 76,555 kilograms of plastic waste, 446,977 kilograms of paper waste, and 5,506 kilograms of e-waste. The organization prioritizes waste segregation at the source for efficient recycling.

Based on pilot findings' success, Aster Pharmacy plans to expand these low-cost tactics nationwide. This could potentially catalyse a national shift towards reusable bags.

The 'Go Green Carry Clean' initiative not only supports environmental sustainability but also aligns with broader governmental policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution across the UAE.