Waterdrop Joins Dubai Can Initiative to Combat Plastic Waste and Promote Sustainability

Waterdrop has been officially announced as one of the suppliers of water purifiers for Dubai Can. The announcement, which takes effect from the end of January 2023, positions the brand to contribute significantly to Dubai Government’s efforts to reduce reliance on plastics.

The Dubai Can is an initiative of the Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The project’s goal is to minimize the use of plastic water bottles and the resulting waste. The initiative is designed to encourage people to use refillable water bottles instead by making safe drinking water accessible via water stations across Dubai. It also aims to increase awareness of the sustainability issues associated with plastics and their safer alternatives.

The Dubai Can initiative was launched on February 15, 2022. Over this period, it has reduced the use of 500ml single-use plastic water bottles by over 3.5 million. The program also makes recycling easier for individuals and businesses, keeping the environment free of waste as much as possible. There are recycling bins in strategic parts of the city for easy access to citizens, and they can collect metals, glass, plastics, paper, and other recyclable items.

While there are other environmental programs by the Dubai government, the Dubai Can is considered a more serious attempt at promoting sustainability and reducing waste in Dubai. It also focuses on the introduction and installation of new recycling solutions, as well as new and modern waste management systems.

Over 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, with over 6.3 billion metric tons ending up as plastic waste. Estimations put the amount of plastic waste that could end up in landfills by 2050 at 12 billion metric tons, except something is done. For context, that is almost 35,000 times the Empire State Building mass.

The human population has produced more plastic waste in the last ten years than in the previous 100 years combined. It gets even more interesting when you realize that some plastics take over 500 years to decompose. About 100,000 marine mammals die annually due to ocean plastic contamination. An average UAE resident is responsible for over 450 units of plastic water bottles every year. The world will also have more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.

Our planet needs to be saved, and the time is now. The Dubai Can Initiative will help reduce the city’s waste. With residents and businesses having options to recycle their waste, we can expect a significant drop in the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. In addition, less harmful emissions will be produced as by-products of waste management processes.

The reputation of any brand depends on its values, culture, and transparency. At Waterdrop, we are proud of our commitment to sustainability, as evident in our products, techniques, and delivery. We continuously strive to reduce reliance on plastic bottles by offering people a safer alternative to plastic bottled water. We also understand the global problem of water scarcity, which has not spared even developed countries. Therefore, our strategy also ensures that quality drinking water is not at the expense of water waste.

We are at the forefront of improving drain water recycling and drain ratio. The 800 GPD tankless RO system—Waterdrop G3P800—features the best recycling technology, delivering an impressive 3:1 drain ratio. As a result, for every three cups of filtered water, only one cup of wastewater is produced.

WHO and UNICEF have reported that only one in three people worldwide can access safe drinking water. Based on this, Waterdrop collaborated with The Water Project, a non-profit organization, to make water resources accessible to sub-Saharan African communities dealing with the problem of waste management and scarcity of clean water. We believe that everybody needs to do their part in effectively tackling and ending the water crises and ultimately restoring people’s health and well-being. Therefore, we are more than ever committed to providing everyone worldwide equal access to clean, safe, and healthy drinking water.

Water4Smile is a Waterdrop platform dedicated to promoting water stewardship and championing an industry-wide action to effect a positive change. We are all out to achieve the “Water for All” goal, which makes clean, safe, and healthy drinking water available to everyone around the globe. In addition, we want to raise people’s awareness levels about the sustainable uses of water. We try to achieve this goal by prioritizing R&D and driving innovation to make fresh water and all its benefits accessible to everyone.

In 2022, to move further towards a sustainable society, Waterdrop introduced a transparent carbon neutral order check-out option. With a single click, you can save three trees from being cut down from the Tri-City Forest, offsetting the emissions generated by the production and shipment of products.

The innovative and practical nature of the Dubai Can Initiative makes it an excellent solution to waste reduction and sustainability in Dubai. The Dubai Municipality will continue collaborating with more local businesses to promote this initiative. At Waterdrop, we remain focused on contributing our quota to make it a success, ensuring we positively impact waste generation and management in human society.