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Dubai, 05 December, 2023: In response to global waste crisis and aligning with global commitments to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and net-zero targets, an international consortium led by Roland Berger and BEEAH Group, in collaboration with DFINITY Foundation, and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), demonstrated the world’s first global incentive system to counteract the solid waste footprint. Supported by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MoCCaE) and the COP28 Presidency, the public-private coalition introduced the Voluntary Recycling Credits (VRC) Initiative at the UAE Pavilion at COP28, marking a new era of positive climate action.

Commenting on the initiative, Hani Tohme, Managing Partner, Roland Berger Middle East said, “The VRC Initiative is built to solve a concrete market gap: with the private sector setting more commitments towards net-zero and circularity, we also acknowledge major barriers to deliver on it. Double-counting, transparency, cost-effectiveness. We decided to tackle it over solid collaboration and exchange between public and private sector, with a cross national approach and a cooperative mindset. Involvement from different stakeholder across countries and multiple layers of the value chain is a crucial part of the VRC value proposition, which aims at a joint effort to shape the future industry standards.”

Announced in Paris in May 2023 by Roland Berger, BEEAH Group, and ISWA on the sidelines of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) in Paris, the VRC Initiative is poised to make a significant impact and transform global recycling practices. It emphasizes the responsibility of all stakeholders to mitigate their environmental impact, promoting standardized processes and transparency on offset activities. The Proof of Concept for the VRC Initiative has been successfully developed, with the first live transaction showcased at the UAE Pavilion, COP28, on December 4th, 2023. The full-scale platform is set to be developed and officially launched in 2024. The initiative is actively seeking project investors, ecosystem partners for recycling credit trading, and technology collaborators for growing the system at the global scale.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, commented on the VRC Initiative, stating, “BEEAH Group has been working relentlessly towards a zero-waste to landfill future, which we see as closely linked to fulfilling the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and broader sustainability agenda. While we drive increasing landfill waste diversion rates, accelerate the circular economy and support lower emissions in the UAE and the region, we want to enable similar positive impact globally. The VRC Initiative is a standardized incentive that is inclusive of all stakeholders across sectors, from waste collectors and recycling companies to large organisations who are committing to addressing the environmental impact of waste produced in their operations.”

In the face of the expanding global waste crisis, the world is struggling with a staggering generation of waste. Annually, individuals produce approximately 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste. When industrial, electronic, agricultural, and other economic activities are accounted for, this figure surges to an alarming 17-18 billion tonnes. With only half of this waste being managed, the remaining portion is contributing to significant environmental damage through landfilling, dumping, and burning, impacting soils, water resources, and air quality.

To counteract this situation, the VRC Initiative establishes a set of standardized rules and processes to enable institutions to compensate their solid waste footprint through a transparent ecosystem. This mechanism involves trading ‘recycling credits’ on a blockchain-based marketplace, ensuring auditable and secure transactions between waste offsetters and recycling companies. The initiative, which emphasizes additionality principle to incentivize more recycling worlwide, aims to boost collection and recycling of solid materials, furthering the management of all types of waste.

The DFINITY Foundation, the technology partners for this initiative, will provide a solution built on the Internet Computer blockchain that will instill confidence, credibility, and scalability into the project, ensuring its viability as a global standard for recycling incentives. “The VRC platform is a great showcase on how we use Web3 technology for tackling environmental issues. The Internet Computer Protocol technology from Dfinity is a perfect match for it,” says Pierre Samaties, Partner and Global Head of Digital Assets and Web3.

Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist of the DFINITY Foundation, expressed his views on the VRC Initiative, “The Internet computer is a fully decentralized and tamper-proof network. It guarantees a transparent, auditable, and secure record of recycling credits and transactions. This transparency ensures that all parties – whether waste producers or recyclers – can trust in the veracity of the credits they purchase, sell, or trade.”

Brazil welcomes the VRC Initiative, which aligns seamlessly with the country’s ongoing strong efforts to shift from a linear to a circular economy. Emphasizing the importance of efficient waste management, Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment, Brazil, attended the event and shared that the country aspires to further develop and showcase this initiative, with the goal of presenting it as a global standard at COP30 in Brazil. He emphasized the important social role this initiative could bring as it accounts for waste pickers, an important social category for the country.

 

About Roland Berger

Roland Berger is the only management consultancy of European heritage with a strong international footprint. As an independent firm, solely owned by our Partners, we operate 51 offices in all major markets. Our 3000 employees offer a unique combination of an analytical approach and an empathic attitude. Driven by our values of entrepreneurship, excellence, and empathy, we at Roland Berger are convinced that the world needs a new sustainable paradigm that takes the entire value cycle into account. Working in cross-competence teams across all relevant industries and business functions, we provide the best expertise to meet the profound challenges of today and tomorrow.
www.rolandberger.com

Press contact:

Salma Halawa
PR Middle East – Roland Berger
E-mail: salma.halawa@rolandberger.com
Tel.: +971 056 385 3146

 

About BEEAH Group

BEEAH Group is the region’s leading sustainability and digitalisation expert, renowned for ground-breaking environmental innovations and smart solutions for future-ready cities. Recognising sustainability and technology as the pillars of a modern economy, BEEAH Group has invested in a comprehensive, full-circle strategy for the future. BEEAH Group operates in the industries of waste management, renewable energy, technology, consulting, education, transport, real estate and healthcare. Raising the bar for the quality of life in the region, BEEAH Group businesses continue to set industry benchmarks in sustainable, smart solutions and help countries across the region create and execute their roadmap for a socially responsible future. The Group currently operates in the UAE, Egypt and KSA. 
beeahgroup.com

Press contact:

Mohamed Allawi
Email: mallawy@beeahgroup.com
Tel.: + 971 55 927 0990

 

About the DFINITY Foundation

The DFINITY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization comprised of leading cryptographers, computer scientists and experts in distributed computing. With a mission to shift cloud computing into a fully decentralized state, the Foundation leveraged its experience to create the Internet Computer and currently operates as a major contributor to the network.

Press contact:

Aaron Dodd
PR & Media, DFINITY Foundation
Email: aaron.dodd@dfinity.org
Tel.: +353 85 192 6681

New York, NY – December 5, 2023 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that Dr. Squatch, LLC provided a reasonable basis for its “no harmful ingredients” claim for its Dr. Squatch brand of personal care products for men and that certain challenged claims, in context, do not convey a disparaging message as to competing brands.

However, NAD recommended that Dr. Squatch discontinue its use of the skull and crossbones imagery in the context of the “no harmful ingredients” and “Sh*t List” claims, certain comparative claims, as well as certain other claims that NAD found to be falsely disparaging, unsubstantiated, and/or misleading, including:

• “For generations, traditional mass-market brands have been avoiding using natural ingredients in personal care products to make production cheaper and faster.”
• “I’m never going back to aluminum deodorant again!”
• “No X ALUMINUM X TRICLOSAN X PHTHALATES . . . can’t go back to that other junk”
• “Don’t hit the showers with neon goop that looks like a sports drink.”
• “I can even pronounce all the ingredients unlike my last deodorant.”

Dr. Squatch markets natural personal care products and distinguishes itself from other personal care competitors through edgy and attention-grabbing content.

The claims at issue, which appeared on the Dr. Squatch website, in video advertisements, social media, and videos on YouTube, were challenged by Unilever U.S., Inc., manufacturer of Dove brand cleansers and body washes.

No Harmful/Harsh Ingredient Claims

NAD determined that the following challenged claims are monadic or appear in a monadic context and do not convey the implied message that competing products are harmful or dangerous:

• “No harmful ingredients”
• “We never use harmful ingredients or harsh chemicals…”
• “Blocks out B.O. without harsh chemicals” and “doesn’t burn my armpits or leave me with a rank B.O. mid-day”

NAD further determined that Dr. Squatch’s monadic “no harmful ingredients” claim was supported and that it provided a reasonable basis for the message that Dr. Squatch deodorant does not contain harsh chemicals and would, therefore, not burn a user’s armpits.

However, NAD determined that the skull and crossbones imagery that often accompanies the “no harmful ingredients” and “Sh*t list” claims does more than merely underscore a monadic message. The imagery reasonably conveys a message related to potential harms of ingredients found in personal care products and, when displayed in the context of the “Sh*t List,” further conveys a message that the ingredients listed, which include non-chemical and non-harmful ingredients, are harmful. As there was no support in the record that the ingredients Dr. Squatch excludes from its products result in the type of harm associated with skull and crossbones, NAD recommended that such imagery be discontinued.

NAD concluded that a comparative superiority message was not communicated by:

• Squatch’s reference to the “Sh*t List,” and
• The claim “Meet our Sh*t List, a roster of ingredients that we vow to never use in any of our products. We refuse to cut corners and we avoid both common and lesser-known chemicals, synthetics, and preservatives that can have a range of adverse effects on your skin and body.”

“The Personal Care Industry Needs Cleaning” Message

NAD found that Dr. Squatch’s claim that “the personal care industry needs cleaning” will likely be understood as a high-level reference to Dr. Squatch’s commitment to products with natural ingredients. Therefore, NAD found that the claim does not reasonably convey the message that competing products are harmful.

“For Generations, Traditional Mass Market Brands Have Been Avoiding Using Natural Ingredients in Personal Care Products to Make Production Cheaper and Faster” Claim

NAD determined that Dr. Squatch did not provide a reasonable basis for the claim “For generations, traditional mass market brands have been avoiding using natural ingredients in personal care products to make production cheaper and faster” and recommended that it be discontinued.

Free-From Claims

NAD concluded that Dr. Squatch’s claims “I’m never going back to aluminum deodorant again!” and “No X ALUMINUM X TRICLOSAN X PHTHALATES . . . can’t go back to that other junk,” as they appear in a comparative context in the challenged advertising convey the misleading message that other deodorant products are unsafe or pose potential risks or dangers.

As there was no evidence in the record that conventional deodorants (made by Unilever or other major brands) contain triclosan or phthalates, or that brands that contain these ingredients or aluminum are dangerous or unsafe, NAD recommended that Dr. Squatch discontinue these claims.

NAD noted that nothing in its decision prevents Dr. Squatch from highlighting the ingredients its products do not contain in a purely monadic context.

Regarding the modified claim “Let’s talk aluminum . . . sure it’s great for wrapping up leftovers but we avoid it for skin and body,” NAD concluded that in a purely monadic context, the claim does not convey a disparaging message as to competing brands.

“Don’t Hit The Showers With Neon Goop That Looks Like A Sports Drink” Message

NAD determined that the claim “don’t hit the showers with neon goop that looks like a sports drink,” in context is falsely disparaging because it conveys an implied superiority message that mainstream personal care products (some of which may be brightly-colored) have a goop-like or unappealing consistency, do not smell good, and are ultimately worthless. NAD recommended that Dr. Squatch discontinue the challenged claim.

NAD noted that nothing in its decision precludes Dr. Squatch from highlighting the benefits of its products, provided, however, the advertising does not otherwise convey the message that competing products are worthless.

“I Can Even Pronounce All The Ingredients Unlike My Last Deodorant” Claim

As Dr. Squatch did not provide any support for the challenged claim “I can even pronounce all the ingredients unlike my last deodorant” NAD determined that the advertiser did not provide a reasonable basis for the claim and recommended that it be discontinued.

Finally, during the proceeding, Dr. Squatch agreed to permanently discontinue several challenged claims. Therefore, NAD did not review these claims on their merits and will treat them for compliance purposes as though NAD recommended they be discontinued and Dr. Squatch agreed to comply.

In its advertiser statement, Dr. Squatch stated that it “appreciates NAD’s careful review of its advertisements and will comply with NAD’s recommendations in its future advertising” although it disagrees with several of NAD’s findings.

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org

Building on several breakthroughs achieved in its a waste-to-hydrogen demonstration plant, BEEAH, the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, Chinook Hydrogen, a UK-based innovator of waste-to-fuel technologies, and Air Water Gas Solutions, a US-based Industrial gas company and a subsidiary of Air Water Inc., a leading Japanese conglomerate with advanced industrial gases technologies, have entered a joint development agreement (JDA) to develop the world’s first commercial-scale waste-to-hydrogen plant in Sharjah, UAE. In the presence of His Excellency Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), the JDA was signed at the UAE Pavilion, COP28, by Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, Dr. Rifat Chalabi, CEO and Co-Founder of Chinook Hydrogen, and Ishmael Chalabi, President and CEO of Air Water Gas Solutions.

The JDA will build on the success of the hydrogen-from-waste demonstration plant, which has achieved major breakthroughs by demonstrating an attractive, carbon-negative solution to produce green hydrogen from waste. The demonstration plant transforms various organic-based waste, including Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), non-recyclable plastics and wood waste, into super green hydrogen that is connected to a Toyota fuel-cell unit that generates power from the hydrogen produced, similar to the fuel cell installed in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles such as the Toyota Mirai.

“We believe achieving zero-waste to landfill goes hand-in-hand with achieving net-zero emissions. With the launch of this waste-to-hydrogen demonstration plant, we have achieved a solution that we can address the challenge of waste and carbon emissions. It can also be scaled and replicated in countries around the world, and together, we will now begin with a commercial-scale plant in Sharjah,” said Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH. “I would like to congratulate Chinook Hydrogen and Air Water Gas Solutions for working with us to realise this milestone, which not only supports our objective of creating a large commercial waste-to-hydrogen plant in UAE, but also demonstrates an economically and environmentally attractive hydrogen production solution that can be easily adopted worldwide.”

The demonstration plant benefits from Chinook Hydrogen’s RODECS ® pyrolysis technology, developed and optimised over 23 years with 18 gasification units installed world-wide. The technology is heavily patented, using “Active-Hydropyrolysis^™” to process a wide range of post-consumer organic-based wastes in batches, including MSW, non-recyclable plastics, sewage sludge, biomass and waste wood feedstocks to produce a syngas. Chinook Hydrogen’s RODECS system is the only one in the world to process waste with low energy content to yield syngas with hydrogen concentrations of around 50%vol. In this system, the hydrogen rich syngas is further processed by advanced hydrogen refinement technology developed by Air Water to produce high purity fuel-cell grade hydrogen for use in transportation, fine chemical and industrial applications. The plant can also capture and store carbon dioxide from the syngas, making the process carbon negative.

“It is with immense pride and gratitude that I reflect on a journey marked by unwavering dedication and unparalleled innovation. This breakthrough hydrogen technology that we have developed is testament to the hard work and ingenuity of the Chinook team over the last 23 years and the decades-long collaboration with our partners BEEAH and Air Water Gas Solutions. That is 23 years of innovation wrapped by persistence and dedication,” said Dr. Rifat Chalabi, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Chinook Hydrogen. “In the realm of green hydrogen technology, we have not only merely advanced or pushed boundaries, we have pioneered the world’s first plant that produces Super-Green-Hydrogen™ that can fuel hydrogen fuel cells either for power generation or emissions-free mobility.”

The RODECS pyrolysis and gasification system in the demonstration facility is capable of producing up to 1.5 tonnes per day of hydrogen. The combined Active-Hydropyrolysis process controlled by the Hydrogen-Intelligence system ensures the production of the “Super-Green-Hydrogen™”, which offers one of the world’s lowest levelised cost of hydrogen (LCoH) today.  Chinook Hydrogen, Air Water Gas Solutions, and BEEAH plan to implement a similar process and system, establishing the world’s first commercial-scale, hydrogen-from-waste facility in Sharjah, UAE, with an initial capacity of seven tonnes per day. The goal is to progressively augment the Sharjah plant capacity to reach 20 tonnes per day and extend the concept and innovation behind this plant throughout the Middle East.

Aligning with the UAE’s Net-Zero by 2050 Pathway, BEEAH has made significant strides in increasing landfill waste diversion rates and contributing to net-zero emissions. Its integrated waste management complex comprises 12 facilities, which process nearly all types of households, commercial and industrial waste, to produce recyclables, alternative fuels and alternative raw materials, enabling steadily increasing landfill waste diversion rates and contributions to the circular economy.

In May of 2022, BEEAH inaugurated the Sharjah Waste-to-Energy plant, the first project of BEEAH’s joint venture with global renewable energy leader Masdar, which further drove landfill waste diversion to a new regional record of 90% and displaces 450,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

In addition to the decarbonisation of the transport industry and lowering emissions in the waste management sector, the planned waste-to-hydrogen plant in Sharjah is also strategically aligned with the UAE National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, which sets a goal of producing of 1.4 million tonnes of hydrogen per annum by 2031 and aims to establish the nation as one of the world’s major hydrogen hubs.

New York, NY – November 30, 2023 – In a challenge brought by Kingsford Products Company, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs recommended that Royal Oak Enterprises, LLC:

• Discontinue the claim that Royal Oak Super Size briquets are 50% bigger than Kingsford Original briquets.
• Modify its advertising to avoid conveying a message that Royal Oak Super Size briquets provide the “best grilling experience” because they burn hotter and longer than competing briquets due to their larger size.
• Discontinue the claim that “a bigger briquet is a better briquet” or modify its advertising to limit the claim to consumer meaningful benefits for which Royal Oak has substantiation.

50% Bigger Claim

For Royal Oak’s advertisements, in which the object of comparison of its 50% bigger claim is not stated, NAD found that consumers may reasonably understand the comparison to be against Kingsford since Kingsford Original briquets comprise a significant share of the charcoal briquet market. Therefore, NAD assessed whether the 50% bigger claim was accurate with respect to Kingsford Original briquets.

NAD determined that Royal Oak’s testing in support of its “50% bigger” claim did not provide representative, statistically significant, and reliable support and recommended that the claim be discontinued.

NAD noted that Royal Oak is free to promote the size of its Super Size briquets or that its Super Size briquets are larger than competitive brands such as Kingsford, but any comparative size claims must not overstate the relevance of the size difference.

“Best Grilling Experience”

NAD found that in the challenged advertising the “best grilling experience” is linked to measurable product attributes; namely, the ability of the Super Size briquets to light fast and provide high heat and a long burn time. As the claim is linked to measurable performance within a comparative context, NAD concluded that it is not puffery and Royal Oak must have support for the claim.

Given that variables other than size may affect the performance of each briquet, NAD determined that Royal Oak’s comparative performance claim cannot be supported by reference to the products’ differences in size alone. Rather, the claim should be supported by properly conducted testing demonstrating that the briquets burn hotter and longer than competing briquets.

As Royal Oak did not provide such support, NAD recommended they modify advertising to avoid conveying a message that Royal Oak Super Size briquets provide the “best grilling experience” because they burn hotter and longer than competing briquets due to their larger size.

“A Bigger Briquet is a Better Briquet”

NAD determined that consumers may reasonably understand a “bigger is better” claim to mean more than just that a bigger briquet size is valuable but that a bigger briquet size is comparatively better in some recognizable or measurable way with respect to overall grilling performance. In some advertising, Royal Oak specifically ties the “bigger is better” claim to burn time and speed of combustion and thus reasonably conveys the message that a bigger briquet size corresponds to superior performance with respect to longer burn time and faster lighting.

Royal Oak did not present sufficient evidence to show that a bigger briquet size provides an overall performance advantage over smaller briquets or superior burning or combustion. Therefore, NAD recommended that Royal Oak either discontinue the claim that a bigger briquet is a better briquet or modify its advertising to limit the claim to consumer meaningful benefits for which Royal Oak has substantiation.

During the proceeding Royal Oak permanently discontinued several other challenged claims. Therefore, NAD did not review these claims on the merits.

In its advertiser statement, Royal Oak stated that that it “will comply with the NAD’s recommendations for the claims addressed in this Final Decision.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business. 

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org