Taking firm action to protect the environment, Abu Dhabi has announced that a new plastic banning policy will be rolled out across the city.
In a first for the UAE, the initiative is an attempt to protect the environment and aims to put a complete stop to plastic bag usage in the city within two years, while introducing compulsory charges for them in the meantime.
The news was announced by the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office’s Twitter account.
.@EADTweets launched a progressive policy to reduce consumption of single-use plastics in the emirate. The policy will ban single-use plastic bags, encourage using reusable bags, and introduce a levy on plastics with sustainable alternatives pic.twitter.com/aOGj0bNyYD
— Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (@admediaoffice) March 9, 2020
A whole host of new regulations and fees regarding plastic use will follow as the government targets15 other items, including plastic cutlery, disposable plates and plastic straws.
To encourage recycling, a new bottle-return scheme is also set to be launched in Abu Dhabi, where residents will be compensated for returning used plastic bottles and containers.
The project, which is part of Abu Dhabi’s Ghadan21 programme, aims to make the entire city free of plastic bags by 2021.
“The launch of the single-use plastics policy reflects our commitment to a more sustainable economy that seeks to minimise waste and protect vital ecosystems in our environment,” said Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. “By implementing this new policy, Abu Dhabi will be joining more than 127 countries that have already taken measures to ban or limit the use of disposable plastic materials.”
