As part of its celebration of World Environment Day, Dubai Duty Free launched a significant environmental initiative; the Dubai Duty Free Ecosystem Restoration Journey – “Plant a Tree, Plant a Legacy”.
With a goal of planting 10,000 trees over 10 years through new and existing environmental projects, it is hoped that these projects will inspire, encourage and build a culture of ecosystem restoration within the organization for the next decade.
The launch of the initiative echoes this year’s World Environment Day theme “United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”, which is dedicated to the protection and revival of precious ecosystems all over the world. As an active member of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and a supporter of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the initiative is closely linked to the UN Sustainability Development Goal 15 (SDG#15), which is about “Life on Land”.
To mark the first step of the Ecosystem Restoration programme, Dubai Duty Free has adopted a “plant-it-forward” mindset by distributing 250 Microgreens Grow Kits to every department within the organisation with the objective of multiplying these microgreens to help achieve the initial target of producing at least 1,500 microgreens in one year.
Commenting on the initiative, Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin said:” I am delighted that Dubai Duty Free has been involved in marking the World Environment Day for many years now. This new initiative offers a tangible and sustainable opportunity to engage our staff in the restoration of our ecosystem. I encourage them to support and participate in every step towards the implementation of this project. Let us continue caring for our environment and carrying out actions so that we can make a difference.”
To increase general awareness of the scheme, staff are encouraged to document their microgreens journey by sharing photos or videos on their social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and to use the hashtag #DDFPlantATreePlantALegacy for a collective social media content.
The Microgreens Grow Kit includes a round garden pot, Cress or Fenugreek Seeds, soil and an instruction leaflet. Microgreens are the seedling versions of leafy greens, vegetables, and herbs. Considered as superfood and a great source of nutrition, it only takes a week to grow before these can be harvested and replanted to grow more plants.
Dubai Duty Free is ISO 14001 certified since 1999, and the operation and its team of staff are fully engaged with environmental practices within the company. The retailer actively takes part in many green initiatives including beach clean-ups, Earth Hour, Car Free Day and tree planting activities. A total of 71 trees have been planted in the name of Dubai Duty Free in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.
