UAE | Environment
Ban on bags will challenge residents' consumer habits
The UAE will have a total ban on plastic shopping bags, typically handed out in bundles at supermarkets, by 2012 in a bid to protect the environment and challenge residents' consumption habits.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:04 July 4, 2009
- Last year Gulf News launched a "Say no to plastic bags" campaign that generated huge support from readers and the private sector.
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf news
Dubai: The UAE will have a total ban on plastic shopping bags, typically handed out in bundles at supermarkets, by 2012 in a bid to protect the environment and challenge residents' consumption habits.
The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has officially launched the campaign after it was approved by a Cabinet decision two weeks ago. Earlier this year in February, the Ministry extended its support to Carrefour supermarket for the introduction of reusable plastic bags, and revealed plans for such a ban to come into force.
The Ministry is now getting ready to lobby the public on how to change their behaviour by introducing alternatives to plastic bags.
"This is going to be a long campaign," said Mariam Al Shenasi, adviser to Minister of Environment and Water Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad.
"The campaign will have three or four phases starting now in 2009 to 2012. By 2013 the UAE will be free of plastic bags. We're talking about the plastic carriers from supermarkets. Plastic bags amount to more than 10.9 per cent of all domestic waste annually. Based on a small survey conducted by the ministry, billions of plastic bags are used every year," she said.
The campaign hopes to raise awareness on the plight of wildlife and camels, which die in their dozens annually from eating plastic waste as Gulf News reported last year ahead of the newspaper's own Say No to Plastic Bags campaign, which was well received by the public and private businesses.
In March 2008, when Gulf News launched the Say No to Plastic Bags campaign, it was the first of its kind by any media organisation in the country. Stories and information were packaged each week to raise awareness and promote best practices and the movement took on a life of its own. A new campaign, enveloping all environmental issues was launched called Go Green to create awareness, disseminate best practices, launch clean-ups and recognise individual efforts.
According to the MOEW, more than 200 species of marine mammals die annually because of plastic pollution.
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