Doha Municipality and Lulu Hypermarket officials during the event.
Doha, Qatar: Doha Municipality, in collaboration with Lulu Hypermarket, D-Ring Road, conducted a 'Plastic Bag-Free Awareness Drive' this week, to highlight the environmental impact of disposable plastic bags and promote sustainable alternatives.
The event is part of the Ministry of Municipality’s initiatives to educate the public about the regulations surrounding plastic bag usage.
The event was graced by officials from the Ministry, including Ali Mohammed Al Qahtani, Head of Health Inspection and Monitoring Unit at Doha Municipality, and Dr. Asmaa Abu Baker, Dr. Heba Abdul Hakim, and Dr. Abeer Mohammed from the Food Control Section.
Officials from Lulu Hypermarket, including Shanavas Padiyath, Regional Manager, also attended the campaign.
The Ministry of Municipality encourages the use of environmentally friendly alternatives such as multi-use plastic bags, biodegradable bags, and bags made of paper or woven cloth to achieve Qatar’s strategic objectives of environmental conservation and optimal investment in waste recycling.
As part of the campaign, Lulu Group distributed free reusable bags to the public and set up a booth showcasing eco-friendly products. The store was adorned with a tree cutout bearing reusable bags on its branches. Additionally, an awareness campaign for children, complete with attractive gifts, was organized to instill knowledge about the environmental risks posed by plastic.
Over the past two decades, Lulu Group has implemented various sustainability initiatives. As the recipient of the ‘Sustainability Award 2019’ at the Qatar Sustainability Summit, Lulu Group has been at the forefront of promoting environmentally friendly practices in its operations and across its 23 stores in Qatar. Lulu Group’s ongoing efforts include conserving energy and water, reducing waste, and incorporating sustainable practices, resulting in sustainable operations certification for various outlets in Qatar.
Lulu Hypermarket has introduced and promoted reusable bags in all outlets, encouraging customers to reuse their shopping bags. Additionally, 19 stores have implemented reverse vending machines to educate customers on the segregation and recycling of plastic bottles and cans.
To further reduce plastic packaging, Lulu Hypermarket has introduced refilling stations, kraft paper bags, and biodegradable packaging made from sugarcane pulp for in-house kitchen products. The use of food waste digesters efficiently manages food waste generated during operations. An innovative food waste solution named ‘ORCA,’ which recycles food waste by breaking it down into water, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for repurposing, is currently being trialed at Lulu’s Bin Mahmoud store.
Lulu Hypermarket in Qatar has become one of the first retailers in the MENA region to achieve sustainable operations certification under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) from the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD). They have also installed a Building Management System to efficiently manage building ventilation and lighting.
As a responsible retailer, Lulu Hypermarket actively promotes ‘Made in Qatar’ products, ensuring an all-inclusive approach to supporting local industries.
