Unilever, a leading FMCG company and manufacturer of iconic brands such as Lipton and Lifebuoy, has signed a deal with retail chain Choithrams, to help reduce their environmental impact through waste management solutions.

A popular supermarket chain in the emirates, Choithrams, took on this agreement to reduce their environmental impact through waste management, in addition to water and energy conservation at its sites in the UAE.

Choithrams International has globally allocated $2 million for this project and will leverage Unilever’s expertise and leading knowledge in the field of sustainability at its 32 stores in the UAE.

The MoU targets at reducing the environmental footprint on a great scale in the matters of energy, water and waste by reducing them to 5, 3 and 10 per cent respectively.

Commenting on the deal, Arijit Ghose, the managing director of Unilever Gulf, said: “If we are to create a world where sustainable business and sustainable living are the norm, we need more collaboration between companies, governments, NGOs and consumers."

"This MoU is a fundamental step towards building the right network of partnerships that will help Unilever achieve its long term vision of doubling the size of the business and halving its environmental impact," he stated.

As part of this understanding, Unilever audited and assessed Choithrams’ facilities to advise on sustainability projects that would help in reducing the environmental footprint while ensuring long term savings for the retail chain.

Many projects are on plan as part of this agreement, including the usage of superior energy efficient refrigeration systems in Choithrams outlet stores and implementing comprehensive LED lighting in their warehouses.

Also, plans to work with global specialists in alternative energy solutions, stand on a global scale to explore remote monitoring of facilities to maximize energy and upturn savings, remarked Ghouse.

"This year as Choithrams celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, we honour his memory by remembering his dedication to community responsibility and we are delighted to partner with Unilever on this ambitious and exciting project to reduce our environmental footprint," said LT Pagarani, the chairman of Choithrams.

Unilever Gulf said it is on track to achieve its ambition of halving its environmental impact. Different consumer and corporate projects are in place; from promoting water conservation amongst consumers with the support of the utility authorities, such as Dewa, to introducing the right systems and processes internally to become the first site to send “zero waste” to landfill in the UAE. -TradeArabia News Service