Global financial service company Deutsche Bank AG showed its commitment to the local environment by participating in the "UAE Clean Up Day" corporate event organized by Goumbook with the full support of the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk as Special Host Partner and Averda as the official Recycling Partner for the day.

The clean-up followed another successful event last year which focused on the damage waste causes to the sea and the local beaches. This year there was especial emphasis upon plastic waste and littering in the desert around Dubai causing harm to the camels. Bank employees were joined by family members and representatives of the bank principal vendors for the region.

The clean up took place in an area of Dubai where many camels roam free in search for food, not far from the Outlet Mall on the road to Al Ain. The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk welcomed all participants to gather in their farm and get prepared for the action being supplied with gloves, bags and all waste material collection tools: a 6 m banner, made from plastic bottles caps and recycled paper, was erected declaring the team's intention of collecting at least 1.000 kg of waste from sand and dunes. At 11 am an army of over 200 volunteers left the farm all geared up to do their part raking across a kilometer of sand, picking up waste and an abundance of plastic bottles and bags.

"As a corporate citizen, Deutsche Bank is firmly committed to being a leader in sustainability and to supporting employee volunteering on a global scale. Today's event is just one example of the personal volunteering projects that our employees take part in each year. In 2010, we supported over 3,000 projects worldwide," said Andrew Macfarlane, Head of Sustainability at Deutsche Bank AG. "We are passionate about caring for the planet and educating our employees to understand how fragile our environment is. This event focuses our efforts on the desert, and on clearing waste that threatens the camels that live here. We hope that people joining in today think about the impact they have on the environment and what they can do individually to conserve a healthy planet."

Volunteers collected over a tone of waste

The event was very successful and 1,160 kilograms of general waste were taken away by Averda who provided full support to the initiative by supplying all collection tools, supervising the clean up, removing the collected waste from the site and transporting it to their waste management facilities. 

"In our role as the largest environmental solutions provider in the region, we believe that the only way to safeguard our environment is for public and private sector organizations and the community at large to work together, and this event is a perfect example of that," said Georges Barakat, Director of Marketing and Communications, Averda. "Every corporation should give back to the environment as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, and we look forward to leading the way in facilitating such efforts in the future. We are proud to work alongside Goumbook, as they have been key players in initiating environmental awareness in the region."

The green drive also saw the participation of the 'Plastic Not So Fantastic Expedition', raising awareness about plastic pollution. In line with this theme Goumbook organized the event around the camel farm to encourage participants with a common goal: remove all litter in order to save the camels. Over 50 percent of Camel deaths in the UAE are attributed to the camels eating plastic: the plastic bags and bottles thrown away carelessly by desert drivers and picnic goers often have the smell of food on them and these are eaten by the camels. Plastic is not digested and calcifies in their stomachs into rocks, some of these as large as 60 kilograms. The animals then die painfully of starvation as they stop eating, plastic not being biodegradable.

The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk, the most sophisticated camel milk plant in the world, welcomed all participants to visit the farm and get to know better the camel, the 'ship of the desert", with its several features that make it ideally suited to desert life. The Bedouins around the Gulf Region have been using the camel for many purposes, including transport, meat and milk.

"Camel milk is not only a part of Arabic tradition, it is one of nature's best gifts to mankind " said a senior spokesperson for EICMP, "Although tied to tradition, our aim at EICMP is to educate and make people of all nationalities aware of this animal and the impressive benefits of camel milk." 

It is in this context that Deutsche Bank AG agreed to conduct a desert clean up related to camels and camel farms. These events represent an effective way to express our social commitment and environmental responsibility to our land of residence, "Currently the UAE's per capita waste generation is among the highest in the world - a direct result of the fast-paced development in the region. Since we all have enjoyed and continue to reap the benefits of this amazing progress and growth, it is only fitting that we also take responsibility for its effect on our environment. This not a problem of only the West or Europe or even only wealthy nations; we all are contributors to environmental degradation, pollution and global warming, and we must all be active factors in the solution," said Managing Director Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Goumbook.

"We believe we have a duty to care for our environment, and we always try to create tailor made programs that promote recycling as well as energy and water conservation within the local heritage," she added.