Dubai: Eighty-nine per cent of residents say they are aware of environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic bags, but 55 per cent of people are still using them, a new survey by the Ministry of Environment and Water has revealed.
However forty-five per cent of the 870 people surveyed said they reused their plastic bags.
Mariam Hassan Al Shenasi, Executive Director for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said the ministry's campaign to rid the UAE of plastic bags is progressing with 85 per cent of respondents expressing willingness to contribute in reducing the amount of plastic in the country.
Sixty-six per cent support putting a nominal fee on plastic bags to reduce their use, but 38 per cent of supporters said this fee should not exceed charges of 50 fils while 62 per cent said the fee should range between 20-40 fils.
Al Shenasi said shoppers should try and use as many alternatives to plastic bags as possible.
Phase two of the campaign will focus on presenting what these options are, such as sturdy bags made of natural materials.
The survey showed that nearly 90 per cent of members of the public had heard or read about the dangers of plastic bags.
An awareness programme for students in the fifth and sixth grade is also running, alongside a campaign now being aired on television and radio, and in newspapers.
