Our Chairman Mr. Surendra Patawari was conferred with the influential Middle East Waste & Recycling (MEWAR) Award on 11 November 2021 held at One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai for his outstanding contribution to the recycling industry and circular economy. This was part of the new initiative introduced in 2019 by the MEWAR Awards committee to recognize “one key personality who has had a positive influence on the sector’s progress in the region and globally”. The token of appreciation was presented to Surendra Patawari by H.E. Ahmed Balhaif Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Region Sector at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment. While receiving this prestigious award, Mr. Patawari narrated to the august audience about his humble beginnings and how that childhood “period of scarcity” had inspired him to foray into the world of recycling. He also highlighted the principles of integrity and trust as the cornerstones for his success and lauded his “people” at Gemini for their hard work, dedication and passion for recycling. Recounting his journey spanning three and a half decades in this industry as “exciting”, he mentioned how the global recycling business today is almost as big as the GDP of India. According to him, the need of the hour is to reduce the income tax on the recycling business, something which he has been advocating at all the key conferences and symposiums he is a part of. He also highlighted the importance of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement which “allows one country to export the excess carbon credit to other countries”. The carbon credit business, of course, is poised to be a business of billions in the future, according to top-notch financial analyst companies. Very optimistic about “the plenty of opportunities in the recycling business in the future”, Mr. Patawari thanked the organizers for bestowing him with this award as well as for disseminating the latest information of the recycling industry to the world through the organizing of awards of such magnitude and intensity.
