Page 124 - Sparklo PR Report - April 2025

EAD’s Bottle Return Scheme Drives Record Recycling Success
NEWS

EAD’s Bottle Return Scheme Drives Record Recycling Success with Sparklo

Published 7 days ago on April 30, 2025
By Integrator Web-Editor

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has made remarkable strides in
its commitment to sustainability through the Abu Dhabi Single-Use Plastic
Policy. As part of this initiative, the EAD-led Bottle Return Scheme, launched
in 2023, has seen unprecedented success in recovering more than 2,000
tonnes of bottles. The scheme has significantly advanced recycling efforts
across the Emirate, empowering residents to adopt responsible waste
disposal habits.

The Agency has collaborated with several partners from the retail industry,
waste operators and cleantech providers and, with EAD’s strategic oversight,
Sparklo, a cleantech leader, has deployed more than 100 Reverse Vending
Machines (RVMs), known as Sparklomats, across Abu Dhabi offering
convenient return access points for plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

As a direct result of this initiative, an impressive 23 million recyclables were
collected in 2024 alone, including over 544,000 kilograms of plastic and
18,000 kilograms of aluminium. The cumulative impact of this initiative has
prevented over 3.5 million kilograms of CO₂ emissions, aligning with Abu
Dhabi’s ambitious goal of a 22 per cent carbon emissions reduction by 2027.
In a single-day milestone, one Sparklomat processed more than 8,500 items,
setting a record for individual unit performance.

Commenting on these results, Sheikha Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Executive
Director of the Integrated Environmental Planning and Policy Sector at EAD,
said: “We seek to integrate sustainability practices into daily life in the
Emirate. The EAD-led Bottle Return Scheme, held in collaboration with
private sector organisations, including Sparklo, embodies the importance of
partnerships, technology, and community engagement in creating
a sustainable environmental impact. This initiative, with its objectives,
represents a strategic investment that consolidates the concept of

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