talabat UAE, the only founding partner for Dubai Can, a sustainability initiative aimed at the reduction of single-use plastic water bottles, announces its results as the initiative marks its sixth month milestone. Through talabat’s 20 water refill stations, the company contributed to over 45% of total single-use plastic bottles saved by Dubai Can, which was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai in February 2022.
With the talabat water refill machines being located across key areas in Dubai, over 800,000 liters of free, chilled drinking water has been consumed, saving more than 1,600,000 single-use plastic bottles so far. This is part of talabat’s efforts to provide the communities they operate in with sustainable water supply, as well as further enhancing delivery rider wellbeing through access to water stations all year round.
Tatiana Rahal, Managing Director, talabat UAE, said: “We are proud to be Dubai Can’s founding partner as we celebrate the initiative’s six months milestone with solid results. Dubai Can is a sustainability initiative that goes well beyond building awareness about the impact of plastic on the environment, by offering a city-wide solution that will create a positive cascade effect in driving behavioral change at a large scale while servicing the community. It has been particularly rewarding to see that not only our riders, but all delivery riders are benefiting from having access to free chilled water refill machines, especially during the summer months.”
She added: “talabat shares Dubai’s vision towards sustainability, which is an important pillar in our ethos. As local industry leaders, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to drive change by leading by example, and we started in 2020 by eliminating single-use plastic bottles in our offices. We hope that through this initiative, amongst others, we are able to contribute positively to the environment, making sustainable practices easier to adopt.”
Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director – Tourism Development & Investments and Vice Chairman of Dubai Sustainable Tourism at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) said: “The innovative Dubai Can sustainability initiative is part of our visionary leadership‘s goal to further enhance Dubai’s position as a leading sustainable destination and make it the best city in the world to live in, work and visit. An essential aspect of ensuring the realisation of this sustainable strategy is the strength of Dubai’s public-private partnerships. Indeed, the successful launch of Dubai Can highlights this unique model which encourages continued collaboration between government entities and private sector establishments to deliver sustainable growth. We are truly grateful for the support of our founding partner talabat for sponsoring 20 fountains and ensuring that the Dubai Can initiative becomes a reality. We would also like to thank communities across Dubai for their overwhelming response and enthusiastic support to this novel project. Important movements such as Dubai Can will help lay the groundwork for positive change and further enhance the action plan that is in place to achieve Dubai’s sustainability goals”.
In addition to adopting sustainable solutions by switching to contactless water dispensers in its headquarters in the UAE, as well as across its cloud kitchens and talabat Mart stores, talabat distributed reusable water bottles to over 15,000 riders, 1,000 employees and 1,300 community members to help drive positive behavioral change.
talabat’s water refill stations are located across the emirate in areas including Al Fahidi Historical District, Al Shindagha Historical District, Gold Souk, Quranic Park, Zabeel Park, Executive Towers, Al Seef, Bluewater, Madinat Jumeirah, City Walk JBR The Beach, La Mer, Al Barsha Pond Park, JBR Community, Dubai Canal (in front of Al Habtoor City), Safa Park, Mushrif Park, Hatta Hill Park (parking area), DSO North Park, and Sunset Beach Jumeirah.
Dubai Can is part of Dubai’s drive to be on the world map as one of the most sustainable cities, which is in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Masterplan. The initiative also supports the UAE’s strategic initiative to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, making the Emirates the first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) nation to do so. Last year, the UAE announced its ambition to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and the 2050 Net Zero goal.
