UAE | Environment
Decision to end subsidy for plastic bags gets support
Emirates Environment Group (EEG) has announced it strongly supports Dubai Municipality's move to halt subsidies for black plastic bags.
- By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:16 March 23, 2008
- Tonnes of plastic waste clog the streets of the UAE's cities.
- Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
Dubai: Emirates Environment Group (EEG) has announced it strongly supports Dubai Municipality's move to halt subsidies for black plastic bags.
The municipality announced last week it is to halt the distribution of 14 million free plastic bags in a bid to tackle the country's rising pollution rate, which sits at 17 per cent in Dubai alone. The global average is between 6 and 9 per cent.
EEG hailed the municipality's decision and said it would provide a substantial reduction in plastic waste as well as saving millions of dirhams in municipal resources that could be used for more useful purposes.
Habiba Al Marashi, EEG Chairperson, said the decision sent a strong message across the community that it is taking concrete measures to reduce Dubai's waste output through innovative ways and means.
"It is easy to see we belong to a pampered community enjoying cheap water and electricity, among other basic services. It is high time for the community to shoulder part of the cost," she said.
"Dubai Municipality has realised the practice of people placing mixed garbage in smaller plastic bags obtained from supermarkets before placing them in black garbage bags - a practice that produces more and more unnecessary waste plastics that eventually end up in landfills," she added.
| How attached are popular outlets to plastic | |||
| Major outlet |
Use of plastic bag
|
Charge
|
Alternative
|
| Lulu |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Geant |
Yes
|
25 fils
|
No
|
| M&S |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Carrefour |
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Choithrams |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Al Maya |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Al Madina |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Union Cooperative |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Sharjah Cooperative |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Abu Dhabi Cooperative |
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Spinneys |
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Marks & Spencer |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Ikea |
No
|
No
|
Paper
|
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