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Anne Smith: “We now have bags that are environmentally friendly and user-friendly for passengers” |
UAE. Dubai Duty Free has underlined its Corporate Social Responsibility credentials by introducing biodegradable shopping bags across its operations at Dubai International Airport.
Once exposed to sunlight the bags have a three-month life before starting to degrade. By comparison, regular plastic bags can take 1,000 years to disintegrate.
The retailer has long been a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility and was the first airport duty free worldwide to be certified to both ISO 14001 (Environment) and OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety). In October 2008 it established a dedicated Corporate Responsibility Department headed by Anne Smith.
“The issue of plastic bags is a difficult one to tackle as other options, such as paper bags, are not suited to an airport environment,” said Smith. “The reality is that we have to provide our customers with a carrier bag capable of getting their purchases, sometimes very heavy ones, to wherever they are going, which may be thousands of miles away.”
The retailer has also taken steps to reduce the percentage rate of bag consumption, mainly by reducing the thickness of bags used to carry lighter items and by using bottle sleeves to negate the necessity for double-wrapping bottled items.
“I think we were right to take our time on this issue and to find a good solution. We now have bags that are environmentally friendly and, at the same time, user-friendly for passengers,” said Smith.
The company continues to recycle paper and cardboard waste; in 2008 it sent 1,250 tonnes for recycling.
Commenting on the decision to set up a dedicated CSR department last year, Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Colm McLoughlin said: “We have long believed in the importance of having systems and policies in place that benefit our staff, our customers and the community at large. The establishment of a dedicated department has formalised that.
“Anne has had a great deal of experience within the company and particularly in the environmental issues, and in the past year has been able to drive through a number of projects that otherwise would not have happened.”
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