EAD launches SMS campaign to encourage recycling culture

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched an intensive SMS campaign to encourage the Abu Dhabi community to become more conscious of the harm of single-use plastic and promote a recycling culture. The SMS messages will target supermarkets, grocery stores, and catering companies that provide food services to labor camps, laborers, and the public. They will be sent in multiple languages covering Arabic, English, Hindi, and Urdu, with seven messages for each target group. The SMS messages are designed to raise awareness about EAD’s Single-use Plastic Policy, launched in March 2020, and encourage individuals to join the Mission to Zero campaign and switch to sustainable alternatives. Mission to Zero is a policy component and is a public-facing campaign that includes public activations and outdoor advertising. Those receiving the messages will be directed to EAD’s web pages dedicated to the policy, and users will also be able to access educational toolkits. The SMS campaign will also provide tips on eliminating single-use products and encourage the community to return bottles for recycling purposes. Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director of Environment Information, Science Outreach Management Sector at EAD, said: “SMS marketing is a great way to increase awareness, and by implementing effective SMS messaging to mobile devices, we can attract and engage with consumers. Users generally check their text messages multiple times daily; consistent messaging can convey our cause.” “Personal, consistent, and reliable messages are also known to foster trust and loyalty. When people are loyal and engaged with an idea, they are more likely to recommend it to others, thus expanding awareness for the cause. This is our goal with our SMS campaign which is dedicated to enlightening the community about the benefits of switching from single-use plastic to reusable alternatives.” He added: “We will be sending an SMS every two weeks and there will be a total of over two million messages for the public, spanning a period of two months, divided across four languages – English Arabic, Urdu, and Hindi. For the grocery stores and labour community, the messages will only be in Urdu and Hindi.” EAD launched Mission to Zero to set a long-term aspirational goal of zero plastic, zero waste, zero emissions, and zero harm to biodiversity. As part of the campaign, EAD had a dedicated stand at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) and dispersed Big Zero installations across Abu Dhabi for people to dispose of their plastic bottles and had advertisements on bridges and buses. PR/ Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube 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