UAE company DGrade, well known for recycling plastic and using it in the clothing industry in a sustainable way, announced the opening of a new 4,000 square metre factory in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), the industrial and free zone hub and a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports.
The new facility recycles nearly a billion plastic bottles collected annually through the Simply Bottles initiative that works with businesses, events, schools, and other organisations to increase recycling rates of plastic water bottles. Plastic collected through the Simply Bottles initiative is recycled by DGrade into Greenspun®, a high-quality yarn that replaces traditional polyester yarn that creates a sustainable system for recycling waste back into everyday products, producing a wide range of fabrics for clothing and accessories in addition to providing raw materials to manufacturers of packaging materials in the local market.
Recycling plays a key role in reducing plastic pollution as well as improving the overall carbon footprint of plastic and polyester textile industries as it cuts down on energy and water consumption, and carbon emissions compared to traditional manufacturing processes.
“Plastic will continue to be an essential packaging material, because it is so versatile, cost-effective, and has a low carbon footprint,” says Kris Barber, Founder and CEO of DGrade.” It has also proven to be one of the most sustainable packaging options when recycled, compared to glass and aluminium. Our mission at DGrade is to provide a sustainable solution by recycling plastic into polyester yarns and packaging materials, to support the creation of a closed loop system, to reduce our dependence on new resources.”
Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), says, “The opening of the DGrade recycling plant is in line with the vision of the Abu Dhabi government and the authority’s direction and tasks to preserve the environment in the emirate by encouraging a culture of recycling. We support industries that seek to adopt a circular economy model, where resources are used in the most efficient way, and this is what DGrade’s recycling initiative offers.”
Abdullah Al Hamli, Head of Industrial Cities and Free Zone – Abu Dhabi Ports, says, “Abu Dhabi Ports is committed to embracing sustainability in all areas of its work by aligning strategies with local and global priorities such as the United Nations Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”
