The ongoing campaign aiming to exchange old, conventional light bulbs for new, energy-efficient ones began on 5 June, 2010, to mark the World Environment Day. Initially aimed to include the offices and residential units within the TECOM free zone clusters, the campaign has grown to include the participation of major organisations such as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Microsoft™ Gulf FZ-LLC.
So far, 32,643 bulbs have been recycled at ENPARK’s facilities in a process supervised by IDAMA Property Services. Some bulbs use toxic mercury and disposing them in the trash often breaks their fragile glass casing, releasing mercury into the environment. Even if the bulbs manage to remain intact after being trashed, these products likely end up in landfills and incinerators where they will eventually release toxic chemicals. On the other hand, recycling crushes the bulbs in a controlled environment and eliminates such risks, and almost all parts of the old bulb are re-used. When a bulb is recycled, ENPARK offers an energy efficient bulb as a replacement. EWS-WWF, as part of its ‘Heroes of the UAE’ campaign, encourages residents of the UAE to replace conventional light bulbs with energy efficient lights such as Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). The new CFLs are about four times more efficient and last 10 times longer than traditional light bulbs and can help residents reduce their energy consumption and ecological footprint. Ahmed Lootah, Business Development Manager, ENPARK, said: “ENPARK is pleased that this bulb exchange and recycling campaign concurs with the environmental objectives of TECOM’s Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED). In light of the interest expressed by other emirates, we are currently in the process of expanding the geographical scope of the campaign and grateful to IDAMA for its persistent support.” Jawed Khan, Senior Account Manager, IDAMA, said: “As ENPARK’s official partner for the light bulb disposal campaign, IDAMA has remained proactive in participating in various environmental conservation programmes and green initiatives. The remarkable success this campaign highlights the willingness of the UAE residents to participate in eco-friendly activities, which is highly encouraging.” TECOM Investments and its entities adopt a proactive approach through various initiatives to inform and educate the community on green issues and contribute to reducing the region’s carbon footprint.
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