An ecological dimension

 PEOPLE relate to and patronise "Masafi" natural mineral water. It symbolises not only purity and quality, but also a sense of belonging and familiarity having been a leading water brand in the Gulf for nearly three decades. Natascha Edelmann, head of Marketing at Masafi, shares the strategic and sustainable ambitions of the UAE-based water company.

Masafi won awards for Best Environmental Sustainability at the latest Gulfood. What Corporate Social Responsibility projects has the company recently undertaken?
We rolled out our 500ml Eco Bottle in the UAE earlier this year and have continued our corporate recycling service for free. Masafi also supported the 2010 Can Collection Campaign, organised by the Emirates Environment Group, besides rolling out an environment awareness campaign with University of Jazeera in Dubai. In January, we also organised a Clean-Up campaign at Masafi Village in Ras Al Khaimah, where over 240 Masafi employees took part and collected over 9.14 metric tonnes of waste within three hours.

What makes the Eco Bottle different from other bottles in the market?
The Eco Bottle from Masafi is the lightest 500ml water bottle in the market today. Each bottle is manufactured with 23 per cent reduced plastic. At a weight of just 13 grams, Masafi is the first company in the food and beverage sector across the Middle East to introduce these new eco-friendly bottles.
The reduced plastic in Masafi 500ml bottles considerably cuts down on carbon emissions in the manufacturing and disposal processes. The launch of the new bottle is a major step in Masafi's Carbon Action Plan – a key initiative launched in 2008 aimed at reducing carbon footprint in the UAE.
With the new technology, Masafi cuts down on an estimated 575 tonnes of PET on an annual basis. The innovative 'green' product is another socially responsible initiative by Masafi and will help reduce the plastic landfill, thus considerably cutting down the rate of average carbon emission per person.
 Launch of the new bottle is part of Masafi's endeavour to be a leader in all aspects of its business – be its products, innovation, technology, environmental initiatives or supporting government initiatives. Apart from the innovative packaging technology, it showcases our commitment to develop best-in-class products, packages and manufacturing processes whilst acting responsibly in everything we do.

There is high usage of plastics in the industry. Can you tell us more about recycling initiatives at Masafi?
As a company, Masafi is committed to sustainability and it is embedded in our company's culture. In fact, we have gone full throttle in our environmental sustainability programme. Over the last three years, we have been successfully running our Corporate Recycling Initiative, where we collect water bottles for free from UAE-based companies employing 200-plus people for recycling purposes.
The collected plastic bottles are then sent to Fujairah for recycling into non-food plastic applications. Masafi has dedicated a toll free number 800 5455 to facilitate the collection process. We have invested significant resources to further build on our environmental initiatives such as new technology whilst augmenting our recycling collection team and fleet. Overall, we believe that delivering value for customers cannot be separated from superior business and social practice that sustainability promotes. Our bottom line makes us responsible to the planet, to the people by fulfilling their needs and wants beyond expectations, and to the financial targets that we have in place.

Air Max 90 Hypfuse