Al Meera introduces first e-waste recycling station for circular economy

In commemoration of Global Recycling Day, Al Meera Consumer Goods Company has partnered with the Seashore Recycling and Sustainability to introduce the first wholly integrated electronic waste (e-waste) recycling station. Both organisations are eager to turn away the plastic, paper, tin, glass and aluminium scrap from landfills.

At present, the pilot project is visibly located at the Al Meera Legtaifiya branch parking lot, with the organisation planning country-wide circulation soon.

Al Meera’s initiative is thoroughly inspired by the idea of Qatar National Vision 2030, which envisions turning the country into a pillar of sustainability with all the operations and services being carbon-free and environment-friendly. The e-waste recycling programme will aid in eliminating the chances of soil poisoning and water contamination.

In the excitement of Global Recycling Day, Al Meera returned its members five times the usual credit points they are gifted while recycling via any vending machine spread across 20 separate branches during the weekend.

Due to the introduction of this collection drive, consumers recycled almost 238,372 plastic bottles and aluminium cans, against which Al Meera has allotted QR24,000 worth of points. The company has also publicised various campaigns to raise awareness for unified green practices and the need for environmental sustainability in accordance with its Corporate Social Responsibility parameter.

The promoted ideas include reusable bags and green checkout counters in place of single-use plastic bags and; the active introduction of reverse vending machines to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans. The company is also keen on propelling paper recycling and beach clean-ups in alignment with universities and Governments. On a more relatable front, Al Meera has launched successful battery recycling programmes, which like the e-waste collection, eradicate harmful, non-decomposable waste from the surface of the earth. Al Meera is the proud creator of the award-winning campaign “The Truth Bottle”, which raised awareness of excess water consumption.

The newly introduced e-waste station will accept all kinds of electronic waste, both huge and small appliances, such as telecommunication machinery, computers and medical devices. The aluminium or other metal in them are usually extracted and sent for recycling. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, which means it is capable of churning a circular economy. Moreover, secondary aluminium use is far more energy-efficient and carbon-redundant than primary aluminium production.

The material collected through Al Meera vending machines is sorted and separated into sub-sections like glass, metal, plastic, aluminium, gold and silver and transported to markets for reapplication in end-user products.