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People are switching to alternative, more sustainable reusable bags with a smaller environmental footprint, a change supported by EAD’s campaign
photo provided
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi’s (EAD) single-use plastic policy has reduced the use of 87 million single-use plastic bags since its launch on 1 June 2022, a reduction of more than 90%, supporting greater sustainability in the emirate.
The agency said on Sunday it had witnessed a significant reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic bags, with people switching to alternative, more sustainable reusable bags with a smaller environmental footprint. EAD’s ongoing education and awareness campaigns are driving and supporting this positive change in consumer behavior.
Since Abu Dhabi implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags in June last year, 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. Abu Dhabi.
The visits are aimed at monitoring compliance with the ban and educating 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.
These inspections showed a very high rate of compliance with the ban and the use of approved alternatives.
More than 80% of outlets committed to voluntary fees, including major retail outlets in Abu Dhabi, who have signed a voluntary statement to support the ban and secure alternatives, resources and financing to support environmental protection and reduce plastic sold at Abu Dhabi outlets material quantity.
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Under their pledge, the stores charge for each replacement reusable plastic shopping bag, with the aim of avoiding plastic bags where possible and reusing them when necessary.
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, EAD Secretary General, said: “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.”
She added: “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. In addition, the achievement of the policy’s goals will also help the waste sector convert Abu Dhabi’s 80 % of municipal solid waste diverted from landfill.”
Al Dhaheri noted 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.
promotional activity
In addition, 15 awareness-raising sessions were organized for different categories of youth, public and private sector institutions, and the business sector, reaching 3,550 participants.
In addition, 25 promotional materials were developed and shared with schools and EAD partners from retailers, online stores and delivery platforms on the Mission Zero campaign.
In addition, seven actions have been added to EAD’s BAADR app, recently launched by the agency as a free, environmentally-friendly smartphone application aimed at making a difference in the environment for residents of Abu Dhabi, both citizens and residents behavior and motivate them to lead the process of positive change.
The agency is also working on partnerships with more than 30 private and public entities to develop a catalyst-based recycling system that will help collect and recycle around 8,000 tonnes of plastic bottles that will go directly to the UAE over the next five years recycling department.
This helps to strengthen this important sector while reducing the presence of these products in the environment. Reducing the consumption of these materials is the main objective of the policy and its tools to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic waste.
It is worth noting that more than 30 million plastic bottles will be recycled in 2022, compared to 7.25 million bottles in 2021, which is more than 10 tons recycled per week, or about 850,000 bottles per week.
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