Majid Al Futtaim, Nestlé UAE and recycling-technology company Sparklo have formed a partnership to install AI-powered reverse vending machines at selected Carrefour stores across the UAE.
The programme brings Nestlé UAE’s “Recycle to Break the Cycle” campaign into Carrefour locations operated by Majid Al Futtaim. The machines accept empty plastic bottles and aluminium cans, track collections and enable customers to earn points through the Sparklo app.
The partners expect the latest phase to recover more than 1.4 million containers and help avoid approximately 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The initiative supports the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2031 and the country’s target of diverting 75% of waste from landfill by 2030.
Carrefour and Sparklo launched the retailer’s reverse vending programme in July 2023. According to the companies, it has since collected more than 22 million recyclable items and engaged over 95,000 users.
The Nestlé-branded machines are currently available at Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Abu Dhabi, and at Discovery Gardens Main Entrance, Century Mall, City Centre Al Shindagha and City Centre Me’aisem in Dubai.
Ziad Chalhoub, chief financial officer at Majid Al Futtaim, said the group’s scale created “both an opportunity and a responsibility to make sustainable behaviours easier and more accessible”.
Rachid Maalouli, managing director of Nestlé’s Coastal Arabia Cluster, said the collaboration integrates recycling into everyday routines while supporting the UAE’s circular-economy ambitions.
Sparklo founder and chief executive Maxim Kaplevich said placing recycling infrastructure in frequently visited locations could make participation more convenient. Sparklo said its machines have collected more than 200 million bottles and cans across the Middle East and North Africa, while the company has over 350,000 registered users in the UAE as of the announcement.