Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) has today launched the Green Paper project, which aims to mobilise Dubai's publishing sector to adopt a comprehensive paper recycling programme.

The project is the pioneering project of the newly formed Green Team, a group of MBRCLD programme participants established to pursue pro-environment activities in Dubai.

The Green Paper project plans to deliver value-added benefits to all project participants, including increased subscription rates for newspaper publishers, expanded media mileage for sponsoring business organisations, more business opportunities for waste management companies and discount coupons and other merchandise offerings for newspaper subscribers.

MBRCLD revealed during launch at The Monarch Hotel in Dubai that it will initially partner with Al Bayan newspaper and will eventually tie up with other publications in Dubai for the paper recycling drive, which is expected to complement the robust growth of the UAE's paper industry wherein over $415 million is invested annually.

"I commend MBRCLD for developing leaders who are sensitive and responsive to the environmental issues and challenges of our society,” said Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water.

“The Green Paper project is a step towards the right direction in our efforts to cultivate the private sector's support in various environmental programs. I am confident that we will see more innovative and creative campaigns from MBRCLD that will promote a clean and environment-friendly society,” he added.

Adel Al Shared, executive chairman of MBRCLD, said: "This project has been initiated by the Government Leaders program participants of MBRCLD themselves, which I believe manifests their broad understanding of the different concerns that we are facing as a society.”

“Through the Green Paper project, we initially aim to highlight the role of the publishing sector in protecting the environment. Moreover, this project will be part of a series of activities that ultimately seek to promote the long-term sustainable development of the emirate and support the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, particularly its provisions that concern the environment."

Under the Green Paper project, participating news organisations will give a "green bag" to each household or office that is subscribed to the paper. The newspaper subscribers will fill the bags with old newspapers, which will then be collected periodically.

Subscribers will get a certain number of discount coupons and other merchandise offerings depending on the quantity of old newspapers in the green bag. – TradeArabia News Service