John Irvine, the managing director of the Lebanese waste management company averda, talks about ReVa, a reverse vending machine. The company, which started in Beirut 30 years ago, entered the UAE in 2006. The recycling machine, co-sponsored by Tecom Investments and averda, was launched in the first week of December.
What does the machine do? Where are these installed?
Users can exchange plastic bottles and aluminium cans for Air Miles loyalty rewards. There are 15 such machines in Tecom business parks, including Dubai Internet City, Studio City, Academic City, Dubai Outsourcing Zone, International Media Production Zone, Dubai Media City, DuBiotech and Dubai Knowledge Village. We are looking for a strategic partner like Tecom in Abu Dhabi and hope to enter the market in the first quarter of 2013. We want a comprehensive coverage in the UAE in a year or 18 months, and then scale it up to Arabian Gulf level.
This programme is free for users. How does averda generate revenues from these?
This is part of our corporate social responsibility effort. We want to raise the level of education about how individuals can reduce and recycle waste. The machines are funded by Tecom and averda. If any company wants to buy them as part of their CSR efforts, they can buy from us. We are the sole distributors of ReVa machines. We can also maintain the machines for them. There is another company in Sharjah that has similar but smaller reverse vending machines [as part of their municipality effort myBeeah.ae], but we have two sizes: one larger than the other.
What do you do with the aluminium cans and plastic bottles?
After collecting the recyclables from the [machine], averda segregates them according to the type of recyclable, and then refines the segregation process by sorting them according to their composition. These are subsequently transferred to the corresponding recycling facilities.
How do users register the Air Miles points they acquire?
When you recycle your can or bottle, the machine will generate a receipt with a 13-digit number. The user should register online at the Air Miles Middle East website. Once they register, and they are logged in, they can go to the Collect page, and then on the right side go to 'collect online', then click on 'recycle with ReVa', and enter the 13-digit number, and the points collected will be added directly to their account.
How many users do you have now?
The first day we launched, all the 15 machines became full in one day. Each week we have 2,000 to 5,000 users. The small machines have a capacity of 500 cans and bottles of small size, while the big ones have a capacity of a little above 1,500 cans and bottles, always of a small size.
[ ssahoo@thenational.ae ]
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE (+4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
