Abu Dhabi: Prices of plastic shopping bags have increased by 200 per cent forcing retailers to look for ways to minimise their costs, Gulf News has learnt.
Several retail chains in the country said that they are looking for ways to minimise the use of plastic bags.
"Apart from environmental degradation, the price rise of plastic bags make an additional cost which could be shared with the customers if alternative arrangements can be made," said a spokesperson for one of the largest retail chains in the region.
Some markets are even ready to reduce prices of goods for customers if they start using their own re-usable jute or cloth bags.
"There has been a 200 per cent increase in plastic bag prices in the past one-and-a-half years. The average price has increased from Dh3 per kilo to Dh9 per kilo," said V. Nandakumar, corporate communication manager of EMKE Group, which runs Lulu hypermarkets.
He said that their 47 outlets in the country consume about 100 tonnes of plastic bags a month. "If we take the case of our about 69 outlets in the Gulf region, the consumption goes up to 150 tonnes a month."
The millions of dirhams spent by each outlet on the environmentally damaging bags could be shared with customers, he said.
He disclosed the group's plan to initiate such a step. "We are planning awareness campaigns against plastic bags in cooperation with various official agencies," said Nandakumar.
Al Maya supermarkets in Dubai said they are also planning an awareness campaign against plastic bags.
Its director, Kamal Vachani, said people are more serious about pollution caused by plastic bags and their use has gone down.
Several awareness campaigns are being carried out against the use of plastic bags.
Dubai Municipality and the International Association for Human Values recently announced the Green Shopper awards, which will reward stores that take steps to reduce use of plastic bags.
Your comments
The plastic bag pollution is not as innocent as it might sound at first. Not only do they block drains and sewage systems but they effect wildlife and as a result - humans. Bigger animals ingest them and mosquitoes gather on the warm small pools of water that they gather and breed rapidly. That is something that provokes a spread of malaria. The problem is huge. We should find an alternative for plastic bags.
Shakil
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 12:22
Carrefour has already started to sell cheap jute bags at Dh2 and if damaged they change it to a new one for free.
Maryam
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 12:19
Being a regular customer of a supermarket in Dubai, I find the comments of Mr. Nandakumar interesting. In all my years in Dubai I have never seen a supermarket so keen to give out plastic bags. The staff who help with packing bags seem to want to use a bag for each item, and then put those small bags into a larger one! Perhaps their shopping bag consumption could be reduced by training their staff that it is alright to pack more than two items at a time into each bag.
Christopher
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 10:41
Re-usable bags are a wonderful thing, benefiting merchants and customers alike. I'm so glad to read that some supermarkets plan to introduce incentives to use them!
Jeri
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 10:22
We all know what plastic does to the environment. The only solution is to ban them. People will bring their own cloth bags to shop. Do it and it will happen.
Leonard
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 09:28
The best alternate for plastic bags are PAPER BAGS! They are biodegradable, so no harm to the environment. They cost more than plastic bags, but are a good option.
George
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 09:06
It is really a good step by Dubai Municipality giving Green Shopper awards and reducing plastic bags. It will reduce a big part of the pollution from plastic bags. It is not difficult, it can be done if the government take it as a serious task. In India I went to Ooty, a hill station, and they have completely banned the use of plastic bags. Now the area has become more hygienic.
Usman
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 09:03
Plastic bags have been a great threat to the environment, especially when there are people who don't know how to dispose of them properly. Plastic bags can clog drainage systems.
Ferdie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 08:40
It's a really good move, seeking alternate arrangement for plastic carrier bags. Reusable bags carried by customers should help to reduce this big threat raised by plastic bags.
Nishar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 08:22
It's a good move to use jute or cloth bags instead of using plastic bags, it's good news for the nature lovers.
Vinod
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2008, 08:11
