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Entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates are turning fallen date palm leaves into eco-friendly cutlery.
Ramis Al Hashimy’s company Palmaid makes cutlery from discarded date palm leaves, which can be composted and turned into fertilizer to nourish the growth of more trees.
This is just the beginning of her ambition to develop a range of products from date palms to replace single-use plastics in the UAE and abroad.
At a factory in Dubai, machines spin as the fibrous, tough leaves are crushed into a powder, mixed with sugarcane and other extracts to form pellets, and shaped into knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks and coffee stirrers. .
The big dream is to create a different material around the date palm tree and get rid of the short-lived plastic.
Ramis Al Hashimy, Co-Founder of Palmade Biodegradable Products
The disposable cutlery looks and feels like plastic and is used in hotels and supermarkets in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
“I am a mother of three children and I wanted to create something that my children could learn from and be proud of,” said Ms Al Hashimy, co-founder of Palmaid Biodegradable Products. He said this while supervising orders at the factory.
Behind her, a row of conveyor belts whisks away bundles of spoons and forks.
The cartons are tagged with “Palmaid – Proudly manufactured in the UAE from date palm tree leaves” and are ready for shipment.
“It’s environmentally friendly, biodegradable, compostable and solves a big problem,” she said. The National.
“We use materials from native trees, and even discarded palm leaves have value.
“Rather than cutting down trees, we reuse leaves that would otherwise be thrown away or burned.
“This will replace single-use plastics that are destroying our oceans and lands.”
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Founded in 2019, this UAE company was launched during Expo 2021 in October.
The company has partnered with Emaar and the team collects leaves cut from tree-lined areas in Dubai to produce disposable cutlery.
The cutlery was used in Emaar hotels, food and beverage outlets during the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, Spinneys supermarkets, and was widely used on food stalls at Cop28 in Dubai.
We used to produce 10,000 pieces every two weeks, and now we produce 70,000 pieces every day.
The aim is to build business in the region and take the company into the Asian and European markets.
From waste to value
Al-Hashimy and her husband experimented for years in their garage. To find a homemade solution.
They first started collecting date palm leaves near their home in Dubai in 2014, turning them into paper bags and stationery.
They then collaborated with academics and students from UAE University in Al Ain to develop a product that requires less water than paper: bioplastic.
“It uses a material that can be molded into a variety of things and is created by combining date palm leaves with plant biopolymers like sugarcane and soybean extracts,” she said.
“This acts like a glue that binds the leaf fibers together, giving the cutlery its strength and malleability.”
The company plans to add straws to its disposable collection soon.
Leaf’s golf tees and hair clips are your first step into the field of sporting goods and fashion accessories.
take a stance
The campaign against single-use plastics is gaining momentum.
The UAE imposed a nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags earlier this year. The government has announced that it will ban the import of plastic cutlery, drink cups, and Styrofoam from 2026.
The United Nations said single-use plastics cause problems such as: An environmental catastrophe, with up to 12 million tons of plastic thrown into the ocean every year.
Dangerous microplastics are consumed by fish and enter the global food chain.
Al Hashimy said more people need to understand that individual actions have far-reaching consequences.
But convincing companies to stop buying cheap imported plastic cutlery has been difficult. Plastic spoons usually cost 5 fils, and Palmade products cost about 12 fils.
For Al Hashimy, the bigger message is to buy eco-friendly products made in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and take them home.
“People say what a difference I make, but I’m just one person. This downplays an individual’s efforts to make better choices,” she said.
“When we try to get new clients, the bottleneck is because they compare us to plastic.
“I always say that the price of plastic is unreasonable given the impact it has on the environment.
“There is inherent value in moving towards sustainable products, and I think customers now expect that from restaurants.”
Her husband and co-partner Yousaf Kaires said it was time for companies to call for a shift to locally available alternatives to plastic.
He said proving that Palmaid is environmentally friendly is possible due to the UAE’s rigorous certification process.
“We have the certificate, but more than that, you can come into the factory and know if what you are buying is truly sustainable,” says Green Start. said Kaires, executive director of Expocity Dubai, who has led the effort to identify them. On the rise all over the world.
love for dates
Making products from date palm trees is central to the company’s story.
“People connect with dates, whether they are Emirati or not,” Ms Al Hashimy said.
“Most of us have sat in the shade of a date palm tree or eaten dates.
“Living in the UAE, it’s impossible not to be a part of it.
“The big dream is to create a different material around the date palm tree and get rid of the short-lived plastic.
“All of this becomes relatable when people hear about our journey.”
Updated: February 25, 2024, 3:00 AM
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