BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
As the UAE accelerates its sustainability transition, the launch of Again, Please, the country’s first closed-loop reusable foodware system, during the World Future Energy Summit marked a significant step towards eliminating single-use waste at large-scale events.
Speaking to Aletihad, Theodossios Kassapantoniou, General Manager of Again, Please, said the solution was born from a clear gap in the events and exhibitions sector.
“Large-scale events generate significant volumes of single-use waste in a very short period of time. Traditional recycling approaches were not addressing either the scale or the speed of waste generation. Again, Please was created to offer a practical reuse system specifically designed for event environments,” Kassapantoniou said.
Again, Please cups were distributed and recollected at designated points, cleaned at a high-capacity wash hub in KEZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi), and redeployed on site. The model eliminates waste while maintaining seamless visitor experience.
According to the company, a single reusable cup used 75 times can save approximately 2.42kg of CO₂, equivalent to avoiding a 14-15km car trip.
Backed by Polygreen, a global circular economy solutions provider, Again, Please integrates end-to-end infrastructure including logistics, collection points, and industrial washing.
The initiative supports the UAE’s broader efforts to phase out single-use plastics through real-world deployment of scalable circular solutions.
“It signals a move from policy commitments to real-world implementation. The UAE is demonstrating leadership by enabling the private sector to launch circular solutions that can be replicated across sectors,” Kassapantoniou said.
He noted that the initiative aligns directly with national sustainability goals, supporting the recent ban on single-use plastics.
“It shows how circular systems can be embedded into everyday operations.”