ABU DHABI TO BAN SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS FROM JUNE 1

Thu 07 April 2022:

The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) said on Wednesday it has introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags starting June.

“As part of our plan to completely curb the use of single-use plastics, we are encouraging Abu Dhabi citizens to use more multipurpose and re-usable materials to reduce their environmental footprint. Today, we are introducing a ban on single-use plastic bags in the capital in light of their harmful impacts on the environment and biodiversity,” Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the EAD, said as quoted by the WAM news agency.

.@EADTweets is banning single-use plastic bags from 1 June 2022 as part of Abu Dhabi’s single-use plastics policy, the first integrated policy in the region that aims to reduce plastic pollution and further promote sustainability. pic.twitter.com/LPpH64SXrw

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) April 6, 2022

The ban, which will go into effect in June, is part of the EAD’s policy of eliminating the use of about 16 non-reusable plastic products, including cups, food containers, plates, lids and cutlery.

The EAD, in partnership with more than 30 private and public organizations, is also conducting research to implement an incentive-based return scheme for single-use plastic water bottles in Abu Dhabi, the agency added.

The UAE, one of the richest oil-producing countries, will host a major UN COP28 climate summit next year to help reach meaningful commitments to fulfill the goals set out by the 2015 Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, carbon neutrality, global warming and climate finance.

The emirate’s Executive Council said the charge would be applied in retail, clothing, restaurants and pharmacies, as well as on delivery orders and e-commerce orders.

A tariff on such bags is applied in more than 30 countries, and a partial or complete ban has been imposed in more than 90.

Globally, almost 300 million tonnes of plastic pollution are produced each year, the equivalent weight of the human race, according to figures released by the UN Environment Programme.

Only 9 per cent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, dumps or the natural environment.

The UN estimated if current trends continue, the ocean could contain more plastic than fish by the year 2050.

Plastic pollution on land and in the sea is one of the gravest environmental problems the world is facing. According to estimates made by the Norwegian government during the UN Environment Assembly, the amount of plastic waste will double within next 20 years, with the total volume in the ocean to increase four times.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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