News DeskDubai, UAE – Grandiose, a leading premium food and grocery retailer in the UAE and a member of Ghassan Aboud Holding, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UAE-based cleantech company Sparklo to expand smart recycling infrastructure across its stores, reinforcing the role of retail in advancing national sustainability goals.
The agreement builds on a partnership launched in May 2024, when Sparklo’s Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) were first installed in selected Grandiose outlets. Since then, ten RVMs placed in high-traffic locations have collected more than 4.7 million plastic bottles—equivalent to 113 tonnes of plastic diverted from waste streams—and helped prevent over 715,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
The initiative has also driven strong consumer engagement, with more than 11,500 registered users regularly returning bottles during shopping visits. Several machines have recorded collections exceeding 5,000 bottles per day, demonstrating sustained participation and the effectiveness of embedding circular economy solutions into everyday retail experiences.
The program is supported through collaboration with Emirates District Cooling (Emicool), which co-operates a number of RVMs within select Grandiose locations, contributing to the scalability and long-term sustainability of the initiative.
By expanding recycling infrastructure ahead of anticipated regulatory requirements, Grandiose is positioning itself among UAE retailers taking proactive steps to align with federal and emirate-level sustainability frameworks, including the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy and circular economy objectives.
Mussaab Aboud, Chief Executive Officer of Grandiose, said the partnership reflects the retailer’s commitment to translating national environmental strategies into practical action. “By embedding accessible, scalable recycling infrastructure across our stores, we are making responsible recycling part of everyday life for our customers while preparing for the future,” he said.
Sparklo Founder and CEO Maxim Kaplevich noted that the collaboration highlights the potential of retail environments to drive measurable environmental impact. “Grandiose’s early investment in consumer-centric recycling solutions shows how forward-looking retailers can turn everyday shopping into a powerful sustainability action,” he said.
Under the next phase of the partnership, Grandiose and Sparklo plan to expand machine deployment and double collection volumes, targeting the recovery of 10 million recyclable items and further strengthening retail-led contributions to the UAE’s sustainability agenda.
