In celebration of the World Environment Day this year,Lulu Hypermarket organised an event to mark the distribution of 6000 environmental friendly reusable bags to its customers and encourage them to use these reusable bags for shopping.
The event was attended by H. E. Alok Kumar Sinha, the Ambassador of India to Bahrain, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Mubarak Bin Daina, of Supreme Council of Environment and Mr. Sami Dimassi, west Asia representative, UNEP in the presence of Mr. Juzer Rupawala, Director of Lulu Hypermarket. The event took place in Lulu Hypermarket, Dana Mall on June 04, 2018. From June 5 Lulu Hypermarket plans to distribute 6000 reusable bags in all their outlets to encourage their usage.
The initiative is being conducted by Lulu Hypermarket in association with the Supreme Council of Environment and with the support of the Embassy of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“This initiative by Lulu Hypermarket has been inspired by the vision of HRH the Crown Prince & First Deputy Premier, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to make 2018 the starting point for a world environment that sees reduced plastic use,” said Director Juzer Rupawala, “As a group that has significant impact on consumer habits, our Chairman Mr. Yusuffali M.A. has pledged to support this far-reaching initiative that will have a great impact on Bahrain and especially it’s marine environment.”
H.E. Mr. Sinha stated that he is happy to be associated with this event as India is the global host of 2018 World Environment Day with “Beat Plastic Pollution” as the theme this year. “The Indian philosophy and culture has always been rooted with the concept of co-existence with nature. Based on this philosophy India is seeking to galvanise greater action on contemporary global environmental crisis towards making planet earth a cleaner and greener place for generation to come” he said.
SCE’s Chief Executive, Dr. Mohamed Mubarak Bin Daina, emphasized that the initiative is intended to enhance bilateral cooperation between Governmental organizations, private companies, and firms to promote environmental awareness in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
His Excellency pointed out that the initiative, being carried out by Lulu Hypermarket, aims to provide consumers a sustainable alternative to harmful bags, which remain non-biodegradable for hundreds of years. His Excellency praised the initiative, which contributes to protecting the environment in general and the marine habitat in particular. His Excellency also praised Lulu Hypermarket’s continuous efforts in upholding social and environmental responsibility in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
His Excellency called upon people to overcome the utilization of non-biodegradable plastic materials, citing that over one million water bottles worldwide are bought every minute and over 5 trillion plastic bags are used every year.
Dr. Mohamed Bin Daina said: “The theme of this year’s World Environment day, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, has further risen the need for root solutions to minimize plastic pollution, which is on the rise. Solutions without social partnership and close cooperation on the part of various countries will not be useful as the volume of pollution worldwide calls for teamwork to confront the dangers of plastic pollution.”
He added that 50% of the plastic utilized worldwide is single-use only and that one-third of plastic materials in the world lack proper systems of collection after use. “At the end of the day nearly 13 million tons of plastic materials find their way to oceans and seas”, Dr. Bin Daina said. He warned that “this is a serious threat to marine organisms and to coral reefs, as some of such plastic materials need up to 1,000 years to disintegrate”.
His Excellency Dr. Bin Daina emphasized that the SCE realizes the importance of involving individuals, the community, civil society, and the private sector in combating the plastic pollution problem. To this end, the Directorate of International Relations and Media at the SCE organizes several and various programs aimed at consumers. “It is the SCE’s belief that an environmental solution to minimize plastic pollution requires communal effort, environmental awareness and education of the public about the harms of plastic to the environment and to humans. This call is for us to unite to confront one of the serious environmental challenges in our present time and to ensure that the Kingdom of Bahrain always maintains its position, as a country well known for cleanliness, awareness and sophistication.”