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World Water Day, Timely Reminder To Preserve Valuable Resource | |
| Sumita Pawar |
Water is critical to human survival, but it is becoming increasingly scarce.
World Water Day (March 22) serves as an important reminder to make every effort to protect this valuable resource for future generations.
With this year’s theme of accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis in mind, I believe every organisation has the power to accelerate change and contribute towards a greener world for their customers and the community they operate in, says Mayur Bommai, co-founder and chief of logistics at Laundryheap.
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Speaking about industry challenges, he stated that the laundry industry we operate in is far from perfect and in need of reevaluation. Contrary to popular belief, the mundane task of laundry can negatively impact the environment. Many of our clothes are made of polyester, nylon, and acrylic.
When these materials are spun around in a washing machine, they release microplastics and harmful chemicals that end up in the ocean, threatening marine life. In fact, this accounts for as much as 35% of the primary plastic in our oceans.
Continuation of such practises will put us even farther from reaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Now is the time for change, and if we don’t act immediately, we risk mismanaging this limited, irreplaceable resource.
He further spoke about the solutions and added, "At Laundryheap, we are committed to safeguarding water resources and supporting the region in its ambitions to solve water challenges for current and future residents. We have seen significant progress in implementing sustainable changes in recent years, including government initiatives such as the UAE 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036.
According to the Dubai Ministry of Technology, water from laundry businesses can only be drained after treatment, which ensures that the most harmful chemicals, detergents, and suds are removed from wastewater, which residential washing machines cannot currently do.
According to the report, as a leading 24/7 laundry service provider, they recognise their responsibility to drive better practises for the advancement of our industry.
They have embedded these initiatives—and many others—into our business operations to support these efforts.
Their facility processes also make sure that each step works well with all the machines involved. For example, temperature controls and filters are used to catch and get rid of microplastics and harmful chemicals in wastewater.
Mayur Bommai concluded that water is our most precious resource; however, it is not abundant. I believe taking actionable steps towards addressing how we can positively impact efforts to safeguard water should be front of mind for every business in the cleaning industry. And, with this year’s UN COP 28 conference set to take place here in the UAE, I look forward to seeing the international community’s renewed focus on safeguarding water.