Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi’s Single-Use Plastic Policy has offset the use of 87 million single-use plastic bags since its launch on 1 June 2022, reducing the use of single-use plastic bags by more than 90 per cent, supporting efforts to enhance sustainability in the emirate.
The agency reports a significant reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic bags, with people switching to alternative, more sustainable reusable bags with a lower environmental footprint. This positive change in consumer behaviour is being driven and supported by EAD’s ongoing education and awareness campaign.
Since the implementation of the single-use plastic bag ban in Abu Dhabi last June, a team of inspectors from EAD, the Department of Economic Development, and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority have begun to carry out joint inspections of sales outlets in Abu Dhabi.
The tours are designed to monitor compliance with the ban and educate outlets about the importance of replacing single-use bags with reusable ones that conform with the technical standards approved by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. These inspections showed a very high compliance rate with the ban and the use of approved alternatives.
Information collected from retail outlets indicate that since the beginning of the ban, the number of single-use plastic shopping bags has dropped by more than 90 per cent, resulting in a daily reduction of half a million bags since June 1st. This amounts to more than 87 million bags to date and counting.
More than 80 per cent of outlets are committed to levying voluntary fees, including the main retail outlets in Abu Dhabi, which have signed a voluntary declaration to support the ban, and to secure alternatives, resources and financing to support environmental protection, and reduce the quantity of plastic materials sold across Abu Dhabi outlets.
In line with their commitment, the outlets charge a fee for each alternative reusable plastic shopping bag, with the aim of avoiding the use of bags whenever possible and reusing them when necessary. (GULF NEWS)
PHOTO CREDIT: GULF NEWS.