Dubai Can: Over 1,000 companies take part in drive to ditch plastic bottles and offer free water

Dubai Can: Over 1,000 companies take part in drive to ditch plastic bottles and offer free water

Over 30 water public stations have been set up across Dubai, with plans to increase them to 50 soon

By Sahim Salim and Waheed Abbas Published: Mon 21 Feb 2022, 1:31 PM Last updated: Mon 21 Feb 2022, 1:33 PM

Over 1,000 private sector companies are taking part in the Dubai Can initiative that was launched last week, a top official has said.

Talking to Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview, Yousuf Lootah, executive director, Development and Investments of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said the initiative has received an “overwhelming response from both public and private partners”.

Dubai Can encourages residents and visitors to ditch single-use plastic water bottles and, instead, shift to refillable ones. Over 30 water public stations have been set up across Dubai, with plans to increase them to 50 soon.

The initiative aims at changing people’s habits to become more environmentally conscious, Lootah added. It will help reduce the intake of micro-plastics into “our bodies”.

“We drink 450 bottles of water ever year on average. Imagine how many plastic bottles we will save if we just shift to refillable ones,” said Lootah.

Lootah shared some shocking statistics which are a cry for change:

• 4 billion plastic bottles consumed in the UAE