Outlets, residents welcome new tariff on single-use plastic bags to support environment
Dubai: Major retailers on Monday said they are fully committed to support the latest move towards sustainability that will see a 25fils tariff on single-use plastic shopping bags from July followed by a complete ban within two years in Dubai.
On Monday, The Executive Council of Dubai said the move comes “to limit single-use bags to enhance environmental sustainability.” Restaurants, pharmacies and e-commerce deliveries are included in the new rule.
Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Officer of GCC at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said: “We applaud the decision of Dubai’s Executive Council to introduce a 25 fils charge for single-use plastic bags to discourage excessive plastic consumption and encourage a more sustainable shopping behaviour from July 1. Carrefour was the first UAE retailer to offer a recyclable carrier bag in 2007 and we have since pledged to reduce the circulation of single-use plastic by 500 million bags each year. Whilst in 2019, we announced our company-wide pledge to phase out single-use plastic by 2025.
“Reusable bags are a cost-effective solution for customers, and luckily we come prepared. Carrefour offers a variety of reusable bags starting from Dh2.50, all of which have a lifetime warranty. In terms of capacity, one reusable bag equates to three-five plastic bags and can carry many more items. Using sustainable alternatives not only saves the environment but saves our customers money as they can avoid the future tariff whilst earning extra SHARE points through our loyalty scheme.
“Majid Al Futtaim has committed to becoming Net Positive in carbon and water by 2040 and has joined the United Nations Environment Programme to collaborate on resource efficiency and sustainable developments. All these initiatives are part of our move towards the creation of a circular economy and efforts to minimise our footprint on the environment, in line with our sustainability strategy ‘Dare Today, Change Tomorrow’.
“We are incredibly excited about the shift towards a plastic-free future and the opportunity to create lasting impact on the environment as we work together with our customers and the support of the government,” Perloiro added.
Rajiv Warrier, CEO – GCC, Choithrams, said: “We welcome the step taken to reduce and discourage the use of single-use plastic bags. Choithrams has been actively encouraging use of reusable shopping bags for years now. To help cut down on the usage of single-use plastic in the UAE, Choithrams had introduced a fee for plastic bags in select stores, in partnership with Emirates World Wide Fund for Nature (EWWF) in 2020. Our multi use ‘Bag for life’ is available for purchase at all Choithrams stores, these bags come with a lifetime guarantee and can be replaced if damaged.”
Shoppers also welcomed the move, saying the development will also serve as a frequent reminder towards our shared environmental responsibility.
She added: “The consumption [of single-use plastic bags] should reduce significantly – not just because of the additional cost factor but also because it will be a constant reminder of our responsibility towards our future generation.”
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