In a key environmental initiative, VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, is discontinuing plastic bottle usage starting from its Visa Application Centre in Dubai.

The initiative aims to decrease plastic pollution rates that threaten natural resources and congest the environment worldwide and help reduce carbon footprint overall for workers and visitors alike.

Located at Wafi Mall, Falcon, Phase 2, Umm Hurair 2, the Dubai centre becomes the first VFS Global plastic bottle-free visa application centre in the world. The initiative is an important step towards creating greener centres as it is expected to reduce plastic usage by over 50,000 bottles annually in the Dubai centre.

The second phase of the initiative will cover VFS Global Centre in Abu Dhabi and the best practice will be implemented across other larger centres globally where water quality and infrastructure allow the use of new dispensers.

Peter Brun, chief communications officer, responsible for company’s initiatives related to sustainability said: “At VFS Global, we aim to reduce our impact on the environment wherever we can. Caring for the planet is the natural thing to do. We are continuously improving our sustainability and ESG – environment, social and governance – performance. Our first plastic bottle-free centre in Dubai is just the beginning. In 2020, we aim to develop an action plan, with targets to reduce our building emissions in a systematic and measurable way.”