From 1 July, 2022, single-use plastic bags will be dearer by 25 fils at checkout counters in all stores in Dubai. The Executive Council in the emirate of Dubai said that the new rule would include pharmacies, e-commerce deliveries, and restaurants within its ambit.
In this light, Art of Dum, an eco-friendly gourmet cloud kitchen in Dubai from the house of Foodlink, operates a zero plastic policy in packaging, saying that the city’s move to start charging shoppers for single-use plastic bags is a great step towards helping to repair the planet.
Since its launch in 2020, Art of Dum, specializing in the traditional North Indian Dum Pukht style of slow cooking, has been using reusable steel cutlery, clay pots, and glass jars amongst others – which customers get to keep – for packaging.
Sanjay Vazirani, Chairman and Managing Director of Mumbai-headquartered Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt. Ltd., hopes that more businesses would start adjusting their operations to be more environmentally friendly to help the UAE and the world achieve its sustainable development goals.
“Art of Dum was conceptualised with the thought of sustainability and eco-friendliness in mind,” says Vazirani. “For a long time we were toying with the idea of doing something which would show our responsibility towards good health and is good for the planet too. So we created packaging with a reusable concept in mind, with things like durable cutlery, glass jars, and even betel leaf plates.”
Although packaging costs have increased, the decision by Foodlink to use alternatives to plastics has established an eco-friendly brand that has been accepted well by a broader customer base.
Art of Dum delivers food across Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens, and Al Karama, using ten different eco-friendly packaging options. “The long-term goal is to operate all our kitchens on a zero plastic policy,” adds Vazirani.
