How Abu Dhabi stopped the use of 87 million single-use plastic bags since June

These achievements were made possible through the commitment of 80 per cent of retail outlets to charge for the use of plastic bags and to support the offer of shopping bags made from alternative materials, the EAD said in a statement.

The ban on single-use plastic bags is part of the emirate’s single-use plastic policy, which aims to stop the use of single-use plastics. As well as shopping bags, the policy also focuses on a range of other single-use or single-use plastic points, including cutlery and water bottles.

Since the ban on single-use plastic bags was implemented on June 1, inspection teams from EAD, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority have begun joint inspections of sales outlets in Abu Dhabi. The visits are aimed at monitoring the ban compliance and educate outlets on the importance of replacing single-use bags with reusable bags that meet the technical standards approved by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council.

“Abu Dhabi’s single-use plastic policy addresses the issue of plastic pollutants leaking into the environment and causing damage. We are exploring sustainable solutions to address this challenge to Fully support the government’s long-term vision for a greener future. “

“By reducing the consumption of single-use plastics, the policy will also reduce emissions in line with the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. Achievement of the policy’s goals will also help the waste sector remove 80 percent of Abu Dhabi’s municipal solid waste from Landfill is diverted,” she added.

Dr Al Dhaheri explained that the shift towards eco-friendly consumption patterns confirms the commitment of the whole society to support the Abu Dhabi government’s efforts to protect the environment.

“Societies in the UAE and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are multicultural, united by faith in our wise leadership and desire for excellence, and are at global pace in developing the best solutions to the challenges they face. The policy’s Environmental, economic and social aspects are considered in the formulation and any related measures and initiatives. The community and its response to the new measures have helped to achieve these results beyond expectations. Our aim is to work with retailers and the private sector and to With the support of other government agencies, reduce the consumption of these materials and limit their damaging release to the environment,” she said.

EAD conducts ongoing awareness sessions targeting government agencies and private sector companies and provides them with tools to enable them to develop policy implementation plans. It distributed a guide to all government agencies – No More Disposable Products: Abu Dhabi Government Guide, which records have reached more than 3,000 government employees during the briefing.

In addition, EAD organized a total of 15 awareness sessions, which attracted 3,550 participants from different categories of youth and public and private sector institutions. Promotional material was also developed and Abu Dhabi’s Mission Zero campaign was shared with schools and EAD partners, including retailers, online stores and delivery platforms.

EAD has also added seven incentive-driven actions to its BAADR app, aimed at encouraging green behavior among Dhabi residents.

Another major effort is Abu Dhabi taking back used plastic bottles for recycling. This year alone, more than 30 million plastic bottles will be recycled, up from just 7.25 million in 2021.

EAD aims to collect approximately 8,000 tonnes of plastic bottles for recycling in a net five-year period.