Monday, Jun 05, 2017

Dubai: A new waste collection drive was announced on World Environment Day yesterday to help selected Dubai residents to recycle their old electronics.

The drive will allow mobile users who have downloaded the Uber app to click on the UberRecycle button in the app which will summon a driver free of charge to collect old desktop computers and monitors, mobiles and dead laptops for recycling.

The pickup window will be short-lived - from July 2 to July 4.

Per capita, UAE consumers generate roughly 17.2 kilogrammes of e-waste every year which amounted to almost 600,000 tonnes in 2015 and is expected to climb to 900,000 tonnes by 2020, according to United Nations statistics.

Chris Free, general manager of Uber UAE, told Gulf News that “we are excited about this partnership with Dubai Internet City, Dubai Science Park and Averda, which is in line with our continuous efforts to use our technology for positive impact in peoples’ everyday lives.”

“With the Uber Recycling option, people will be able to request a complimentary pickup of their e-waste between 10am and 4pm from July 2 to July 4. Uber helps get more people in fewer cars, which means reduced congestion and pollution. We want to also provide people with an easy and reliable way to play a role in reducing e-waste and preserving our environment by properly recycling their retired phones, outdated laptops and old gadgets,” Free said.

In a statement yesterday, drive organisers said that community members living in Dubai Science Park, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Outsource City can request an Uber on-demand using the application to pick up e-waste materials.”

E-waste will be taken to Averda, a waste management service, for processing and disposal.

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director at Dubai Science Park, said in a statement: “This campaign raises awareness about the importance of recycling and the role it has in reducing our carbon footprint and creating more sustainable, eco-friendly business practices.”

Ammar Al Malik, Executive Director of Dubai Internet City, said in a statement: “With technology evolving rapidly and device life cycles becoming shorter, we are experiencing an increased amount of e-waste with more than 20 million tonnes of e-waste generated around the world annually. At DIC, we strongly support environment-friendly solutions as part of our strategic commitment to promoting sustainable, socially responsible practices. Given our strong focus on technology within our community, this is an important subject for us.”

Philippa Charlton, Averda’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Today, across the world, there is a large quantity of e-waste that is not being collected, treated or disposed of properly. Averda seeks disruptive approaches to increase the recycling and proper handling of e-waste through several campaigns launched in all our markets. Averda is delighted to be involved in this great initiative and awareness drive.”

How it works:

Open or download the Uber app

Request an ‘UberRECYCLE’ from 10:00 to 14:00 from July 2 to 4

If an ‘UberRECYCLE’ is available, a partner-driver will head your way to pick up your items

Recycling your technology is totally free

Some items may require extra preparation before donation. Uber won’t be responsible for data left on any donated equipment. Please remember to remove personal data from hard drives or other storage media before having them picked up by Uber

Source: Uber

By Derek Baldwin Chief Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.