Hala Al Khayyat (Abu Dhabi)
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, single-use plastic shopping bags will no longer be available in the market after the implementation of the ban decision, and instead there will be multi-use bags whose prices start from half a dirham per bag.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi advises consumers to use the multi-use bags and bring them from home or the car, to avoid paying any price for this type of bags if they were previously sold from the outlet.
It is noteworthy that the bag fees will be added to the purchase invoice like any other commodity that is recorded on the invoice upon purchase, and there is no limit to the number of multi-use bags that are sold to the consumer.
Tomorrow, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi will carry out a field tour of the markets to ensure the availability of alternatives to the banned bags, and will intensify awareness campaigns targeting various segments of society.
The multi-use alternative bags are required to be more than 57 micrometers thick, made of biodegradable plastic, and have the advantage that they can be reused between 4 to 10 times in a row.
Retail outlets in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi pledged to support the implementation of the policy of single-use plastics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which was launched by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi in March 2020 and its legislation, to ensure the cleanliness of the marine and land environment of the emirate from single-use plastic waste. Expressing their commitment to collecting fees on reusable bags, in order to reduce their consumption, using the fees to implement sustainable initiatives, and contributing to the government’s efforts represented by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi on raising awareness related to reducing reliance on single-use plastic products.
The implementation of the policy of banning plastic bags in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi comes in recognition of the effects related to single-use plastic waste on marine and wild species and birds that die due to eating plastic materials, and the human food chain due to the entry of plastic particles into it and the accompanying effects on public health, and the deterioration of public health. The marine and terrestrial environment and economic activities as a result of the spread of waste, as well as the negative consequences of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet in general and the visual pollution caused by the volatilization of these materials.
Waste spilled onto beaches
Sheikha Al Mazrouei, Acting Executive Director of the Integrated Environmental Planning and Policies Sector at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, indicated that the Authority has identified a number of products that constitute the largest percentage of waste leaking to beaches, and these products have been classified into products with alternatives and others without alternatives. In the procedures for each category according to specific priorities, and accordingly, the option to ban only single-use plastic bags was selected, with a wide range of exceptions, since it is currently no alternative.
And she indicated that the ban decision will not include types of single-use plastic bags that have no alternatives, including bags designated for medicines in pharmacies, rolls of bags of vegetables, meat, fish and chicken, grain bags, bread bags “knot bags”, large shopping bags designed for fashion, bags Electronic gadgets and toys, garbage bags of different sizes and types.
The UAE consumes 11 billion plastic bags annually
Figures indicate that the UAE annually consumes 11 billion plastic bags, which is equivalent to 1182 plastic bags annually at the individual level, while the global average per person is 307 bags. Studies indicate that 50% of the dead camels have eaten plastic materials, and 86% of the sea turtles that were found dead on the beaches have eaten plastic materials, and single-use bags take 400 years to decompose and thousands of years to reduce their negative effects.
She said, “According to the current path, and without any measures similar to what (the authority) is doing, it is expected that by 2050 there will be one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish,” noting that the authority is seeking, in cooperation with the Department of Development. To promote the concepts of a circular economy, through the recovery and recycling of materials.
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