Leading retailer Carrefour introduces reusable bags in nationwide bid to cut down on plastic bag usage

February 26, 2007, Dubai: In a push to reduce the millions of plastic bags that pollute the UAE's ecosystem every year, MAF Hypermarkets (Carrefour) today introduced reusable bags at their checkout counters as an alternative to plastic bags.

Shoppers will be encouraged to purchase their own big reusable bags from Carrefour at the checkout for 2 Dirhams (cost price). If damaged at any point, the bags can be replaced at any Carrefour outlet free of charge.

"It's no secret that plastic bags are one of the major causes of pollution and waste in the world today. We at Carrefour want to contribute by at least encouraging people in the UAE to reduce the amount of plastic bags that they use when shopping at our stores", said Jean Luc Graziato, Vice President of Marketing and Sourcing at MAF Hypermarkets (Carrefour).

He added, "By using the bag 4 times, you will be reducing the usage of plastic bags by 18 per cent. So when you use a Carrefour reusable bag 4 times, the resulting decrease in plastic bag production leads to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse effect gases by 20 per cent. By using the bag 20 times, you will be reducing the usage of plastic bags by 82 per cent."

For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Al Zu' bi, Advisor to the Emirates Diving Association (EDA) said, "The Emirates Diving Association has been working hard over the years to reduce the amount of plastic bags that end up polluting the ecosystem through initiatives such as Clean up Arabia."

"We are very happy that Carrefour is contributing positively to help reduce the amount of plastic bags in the UAE.  This initiative will first help protect the marine environment, especially since plastic bags end up most of the time in the sea. In turn, marine creatures like Turtles and dolphins eat these bags thinking that they are jelly fish which unfortunately leads to their death", concluded Mr. Zu' bi.

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About MAF Hypermarkets LLC
MAF Hypermarkets LLC is a subsidiary of MAF Retail LLC. one of the most active shopping concept developers throughout the region introduced by Majid Al Futtaim Group, the region's most prominent developer of large consumer focused enterprises.

MAF Hypermarkets LLC expanded across the Middle East through the joint venture with Europe's largest retailer Carrefour. The company operates 22 hypermarkets currently and remains the leader in terms of quality and low priced goods. Carrefour's own retail brands are a significant medium for brand differentiation and customer loyalty, contributing substantially to the organisation's growth in sales.

For additional information of the Majid Al Futtaim Group kindly visit www.majidalfuttaim.com

 

© Press Release 2007