06-07-2025
UAE: Abu Dhabi expat survives cancer, opens green juicery to make ends meet
Ben Smith, a 27-year-old Abu Dhabi resident who grew up in the city, was just 22 when his life was interrupted when doctors diagnosed him with cancer in his appendix, shortly after graduating from university.
'It was the start of my life, really,' he said. 'All my friends were getting jobs, and I was thrown into the hospital.'
Over more than a year, Ben underwent treatments, surgeries, and long periods of waiting both in the UAE and the UK. He came out of the experience with no job, no clear plan, not much energy, but a new sense of clarity.
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'When you get cancer, nothing else matters. It puts you face-to-face with what's important, your health, your peace, your community.'
With little energy and no clear career path, Ben turned to a skill he had picked up during university while working part-time at Joe & The Juice. He began making juice at home for friends.
What started as a casual idea slowly grew into Pink and Greens, a health-conscious juicery that now operates with a strong environmental ethos and nearly zero packaging waste.
'I'm not a businessman,' Ben said. 'I'm more of a family man. I love the environment. I hate plastic. That's just me.'
The shop, located at an ADNOC station in Abu Dhabi, has developed organically with the help of a close-knit community.
At the core of Ben's business is the Earth Club, a glass bottle return system that encourages customers to bring back used bottles in exchange for a week's worth of free coffee.
'It's become a system that people actually follow,' he said. 'We've created a small loop of reuse, and it works.'
Challenges
Still, running an eco-conscious store comes with challenges. Paper cups, for example, don't show the colours or layers of the drinks, a key part of the visual appeal. The team is now transitioning to biodegradable cornstarch cups that look like plastic but break down naturally.
'We have to be careful that people don't misunderstand the material,' he said. 'It looks like plastic, but it's made from plants, and it goes back to the earth.'
Another challenge is managing the daily pulp generated from juicing fruits and vegetables. While Ben used to compost and deliver the pulp to local farms, he's now actively pursuing new ways to put it to use.
'I don't want it to go to waste,' he said. 'There's real potential in this pulp, and we're looking at how to make sure it stays a part of a sustainable cycle.'
'Everything felt more urgent'
Beyond juices, Ben has a wider goal in mind: reviving marine life in the UAE. In collaboration with a government-led initiative, Pink and Greens is planning to launch a bottled water line, where part of each purchase funds the planting of coral reef tiles made from 3D-printed terracotta. These tiles are placed on the seabed to support coral regeneration.
'When someone drinks water from us, they're also helping restore ocean life,' Ben said. 'That's the point, every product has a purpose. We're not just selling drinks. We're trying to make choices that give something back.'
Asked whether his interest in sustainability existed before his diagnosis,
'I always respected it. But after cancer, everything felt more urgent,' he said. 'It made me realise this is where I want my life to go, something that makes a real difference.'
