Sparklo, a company building the region’s accessible smart recycling ecosystem, and Mai Dubai, the leading bottled water company in the UAE, will install 30 AI-powered Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) as part of a partnership agreement to promote recycling and support sustainable consumer behaviour.
The RVMs – also known as Sparklomats – will be installed in high-traffic locations across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah, including schools, retail areas, and residential communities.
Sparklo-Mai Dubai alliance
It will enable people to return plastic bottles close to where they live, and also get rewarded for supporting recycling. For every container returned, users receive Sparklo points, which can be redeemed for rewards, including discounts on Mai Dubai delivery starting in May.
During the signing event, Sparklo presented the first-ever Mai Dubai-branded Sparklomat, marking the symbolic start of the rollout and a symbol of thanks to the Mai Dubai leadership and employees’ commitment towards circular economy principles.
Maxim Kaplevich, Founder and CEO of Sparklo, commented: “This partnership fully reflects Sparklo’s mission: to bring every bottle back into the economy by making recycling easy, accessible, and rewarding.
“It’s our first collaboration with a bottled water brand that not only ensures bottles are recycled, but also rewards people for doing so — and we are proud it’s happening in our home market, the UAE. We’re glad that Mai Dubai shares our vision of building the infrastructure that motivates people to return their bottles. Together, we’re creating a true closed-loop system that ensures materials don’t become waste, but a resource for the future.”
Abraham Kah, CEO of Mai Dubai, added: “At Mai Dubai, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do – from operating the region’s only 100 per cent solar-powered water facility, to actively championing circular solutions beyond our walls.
“This partnership with Sparklo allows us to extend that commitment to consumers, empowering them to close the loop by returning their empty bottles. Together, we’re not just hydrating the nation, we’re also shaping a sustainable future for the UAE.”
To date, Sparklo has collected over 90 million plastic and aluminium containers across the MENA region, with more than 81 million in the UAE alone.
Sparklo uses cutting-edge software and hardware solutions, utilising AI and machine learning to optimise recycling processes.
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