‘THIS BAG IS A HERO’ & ‘IT’S ONLY NATURAL’
AVANI Middle East to open first-ever production facility in the Middle East to produce 100% sustainable bags
Dubai: Virgin Megastore is replacing all its plastic shopping bags in the UAE with AVANI’s Bio-Cassava bags which are 100% natural, biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, certified non-toxic, dissolve in water and proven to be harmless if consumed by animals. Virgin Megastore is the first major retailer in the Middle East to provide customers with environmentally friendly AVANI Bio-Cassava bags which perform just like plastic bags but are fully compostable within 180 days or less. The new bags branded with the strap-lines ‘It’s only natural’ and ‘This bag is a hero’ will be rolled out this year across all Virgin Megastores in the UAE.
AVANI’s Bio-Cassava bags have been developed through years of research and use ground-breaking technology that only uses renewable resources made from plants to produce alternatives to single-use petroleum-based bags that are certified to EU standards for compostability (EN13432) and have been granted Oral Toxicity test by WIL Research Netherlands. AVANI Middle East will open the first-ever production facility in the Middle East, this year in the UAE, to produce the Bio-Cassava bags which will have the capacity to make 1.2 million bags per month.
Vartivar Basmajian, Head of Franchise and Brand of Virgin Megastore on making the announcement said: “We are always striving to partake in activities where the focus is to help the planet; not to mention doing business for good. With the continuous efforts of our customers, we are able to achieve our goals and collaborate with esteemed partners like AVANI. We are looking at reducing single-use plastic; which is why we are introducing our new Virgin Megastore bags, first in the UAE, to provide our customers with a solution to support reducing our environmental footprint. AVANI’s Bio-Cassava bags provided us with a way to do this, while also allowed us to put our own Virgin Megastore stamp on the bags.”
Kevin Kumala, co-founder of AVANI, attending the announcement at Virgin Megastore’s UAE Headquarters added: “Virgin Megastore’s switch to providing its customers with our bags is a milestone for AVANI in the Middle East and also marks our announcement to open the first-ever production facility in the Middle East. We founded AVANI in 2014 when I returned to Bali and wanted to find a way to reduce the plastic waste that was littering the beaches I had grown up on
as a child. Today, we are continuing to expand our global footprint, here in the UAE, in providing solutions to businesses across the world that want to reduce single-use plastic waste.”
Peter Avram, Director of AVANI Middle East, concluded: “Virgin Megastore joins over 150 hospitality and retails businesses providing consumers with 100% sustainable and compostable alternative solutions to single-use plastic since we launched AVANI Middle East in the UAE in 2017. Our new production facility, located in Al Quoz, Dubai, will be approximately 3000 square feet and our aim is to be operational within the next six months starting with one production line which will be expanded as our business continues to grow in the UAE and GCC.”
Established in 2014, as a Bali-based social enterprise, AVANI first aimed to help rehabilitate the island of Bali by offering 100% sustainable disposable packaging solutions and compostable plastic alternatives to the country’s hospitality and retail industries. AVANI has evolved to become a one-stop-shop solution for eco-friendly needs not only in Bali but also internationally. Thus, hoping to reduce the accumulated plastics from human activities anywhere around the world with the notion of REPLACE.
To find out more about AVANI Middle East visit www.avanieco.me and keep updated on the latest news from Virgin Megastore at www.virginmegastore.ae.
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About Kevin Kumala:
Kevin Kumala is a social entrepreneur and evangelist of all things he is passionate about. With an educational background from the fields of biology, medical and also business management, Kevin is a transformational leader possessing an animated and charismatic personality. As a status quo challenger, Kevin is a true believer that frustration is truly the mother of invention as his entire businesses share this same particular common denominator. He is the co-founder and Chief Green Officer of eco-technology company, AVANI, embarking on a mission to cut down global plastic consumption by offering a proven integrated eco-friendly solution to replace petroleum-based disposable plastic products. Kevin Kumala is an entrepreneur and an idea seeker who is truly a doer, not a dreamer.
About AVANI Middle East:
AVANI Middle East launched in the UAE in 2017, making AVANI’s range of 100% sustainable disposable packaging solutions and compostable plastic alternatives available for the first time in the region, providing a solution for businesses looking to reduce single-use plastics waste. Developed through years of research, AVANI’s products use ground-breaking technology that only uses renewable resources made from plants to produce alternatives to plastic products. AVANI currently uses three main ingredients to produce its products: Cassava starch for bio-plastics, corn starch as biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester (PLA) and sugarcane residue as a replacement of styrofoam to produce boxes. For further information: www.avanieco.me
About Virgin Megastores:
Virgin Megastore is a global entertainment brand, and the leading lifestyle retail destination in the Middle East & North Africa region, with 49 stores in 9 markets. Since its establishment in the UAE in 2001, Virgin Megastore set a constant target of establishing and expanding its Middle East presence as well as its product offering to fulfill growing trends and expectations in the region.
A one-stop shop for all entertainment needs, covering cultural entertainment products such as music, movies, and books, as well as other product categories including electronics & accessories, gaming, fashion & accessories, gifts & toys, and much more. Virgin Megastore has created a whole new experience in entertainment retail by balancing international trends while catering to local cultures across the region. This is done through continuous evolution in the brand experience and range, as well as constant support for the regional art scene. Virgin Megastore is truly a global brand with local flavor. With its unique shopping experience, Virgin Megastore is an innovative entertainment destination for trendsetters and technophiles.
For more information, please visit: www.virginmegastore.ae
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