Since its inception as a nation 40 years ago, the UAE has totted up many great achievements and world records. Yet one record the country may not be so proud of is its immense ecological footprint: the WWF Living Planet report, published earlier this month, ranked the UAE as having the third biggest ecological footprint in the world, after Qatar and Kuwait. With these sobering statistics in the forefront of our minds (along with the fact that World Environment Day falls on Tuesday June 5), we thought it was high time to clean up our act. By this we mean recycle as much as we can, conserve energy and save some cash along the way. We’ve talked to local experts to discover how we can live a cleaner life here, as well as finding out exactly what the UAE is doing to reduce its carbon footprint.
5 recycling tips
From where to bin your rubbish responsibly to what the future holds for recycling in the UAE
Throughout the UAE, each member of the population generates about 2.5kg of rubbish each day. This adds up to more than 900kg per person per year, which is approximately 400kg more per person than in countries such as France and Italy. Most of the waste ends up in landfill. As a result, in February 2011 in Dubai, a number of environmentalists called for a ‘pay-as-you-throw’ scheme to be introduced, as an incentive for people to start recycling more. A year on, no such scheme has been put into action, but there are recycling points throughout the city. Visit the lands, home and environment section at www.abudhabi.ae to find out more.
1 Invest in food storage
Pick up some sturdy plastic containers in which to take your sandwiches to work, instead of using cling-wrap or foil. Not only will this save you money in the long run, but will also have a beneficial impact on the environment: cling wrap, for example, contains PVC, which has toxic properties, is difficult to recycle and does not decompose. Likewise, the extensive use of aluminium foil has been criticised because it costs a lot to make, a result of the large amount of electricity needed to extract and process the materials.
2 Ditch the plastic
When shopping in Carrefour, buy a ‘bag for life’ (for about Dhs10) in which to carry your shopping home, and re-use it every time you shop. It offers an alternative to conventional plastic bags, which are not only an eyesore when dumped in the desert (the UAE’s man-made answer to tumbleweed, if you will), but are also hazardous to wildlife – camels have been known to choke on the bags, while aquatic life, such as turtles, can get caught in them.
3 Join the Freecycle Network
This entirely non-profit global movement is all about reusing goods by giving them away or exchanging them with others, instead of throwing them into the trash, and has a network of more than eight million
people worldwide who may be willing to take unwanted goods off your hands. The local Abu Dhabi group is growing slowly but surely, with over 400 members. www.freecycle.org,groups.freecycle.org/abudhabifreecycle.
4 Get creative with your junk
Don’t throw things away just because you can’t find a recycling bin for them. Turn scratched DVDs into coasters by sticking a layer of felt underneath, or fold old, flat pillows in half and stuff them into a new square cushion cover for your sofa. Alternatively, call Take My Junk, an organisation that collects everything from old clothes and kitchenware to electronic appliances and sells the unwanted goods at low, affordable costs to labourers and other folks in a low-income bracket. www.takemyjunkuae.com (050 179 4045).
5 Reuse old toothbrushes
Once they’ve run their course with your teeth, mark them with a permanent pen and add them to your cleaning tools. They’re extremely useful for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens to tackle the build-up around faucets and between tiles. They’re also good for removing oil and grease marks from your household DIY tools and polishing intricately designed silver items – they can get into crevices that a cloth can’t reach. Just don’t mix up your tootbrushes.
5 ways to save energy
We find out what Masdar is up to, and how you can save on your energy bills
When we think of saving energy in Abu Dhabi, we think of Masdar. Our pride and joy. The renewable energy and clean technology initiative that is providing a test-bed for the development of commercially viable, sustainable energy solutions and clean technologies. Masdar works in multiple areas, but let us name just a few: it specializes in developing energy efficiency and clean fossil fuel projects; it’s building a zero-carbon city which will be powered entirely by renewable energy; and it builds and invests in utility-scale renewable energy power projects (remember that wind farm project in the Seychelles launched by Abu Dhabi earlier this year – yep, Masdar is behind it).
Excellent. So this is what the future of Abu Dhabi looks like. Note, the word ‘future’ however. We know our government is working hard to ensure a cleaner, more energy efficient future for us and the world at large, but what are we doing? Rome, after all, wasn’t built in a day, it takes more than one to tango, and other clichés of that nature. In short, everyone has to do their part to help preserve the environment and conserve energy. In that vein, we’ve come up with a list of ways you can start making a difference now, and contribute to the work in progress. One small step for a man… you get the idea.
1 Change your bulbs
Switch from regular bulbs to LED lamps, which can reduce the cost of your lighting by up to a whopping 90 percent. According to the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), non-energy-efficient light bulbs will be banned in the UAE from mid-2013 anyway, so you may as well get shopping now in preparation. Available at ACE Hardware, Meena (02 673 1665).
2 Install Eco3 devices
Improve the efficiency of your A/C system by installing an Eco3 device such as Smartcool, which boosts energy efficiency for all air-conditioning, refrigeration and heating systems. The device is mounted on your wall and reduces the energy usage of compressors by 15 to 20 percent, ensuring that the compressors work at maximum efficiency without overcycling. It needs to be fitted by a technician. The devices also reduce the cost of facilities operation and maintenance. For information, contact US Chiller Services, www.uschillerservices.com (04 333 7644).
3 Use a water aerator
Water-saving devices such as aerators can help to reduce your bills and water consumption. Aerators screw straight onto the taps and use air to reduce the flow of water by half, without affecting the pressure. Showers can also be fitted with regulators to achieve a similar result. Faucet aerators can be found in most hardware stores or hypermarkets. From Dhs15 at www.amazon.com.
4 Stop using your tumble dryer
Tumble dryers use a lot of energy and are expensive to run. In a climate as warm as Abu Dhabi’s, there is little need for dryers – laundry usually dries relatively quickly when hung on a clothes rack inside your home. For those who can’t live without their dryer, try reducing the running time, as well as getting your hands on ‘spiker balls’, which are placed inside the dryer to separate clothing, decreasing the time they take to dry. Dhs39 for two. Available at ACE Hardware, Meena (02 673 1665).
5 Unplug everything
When you’ve finished charging your phone, do you unplug the charger at the wall? You should – every single electrical appliance uses some energy when you leave it plugged in, even when it’s switched off. So be sure to turn off laptops, TVs and stereos when not in use. By doing this, you can reduce your energy consumption by up to 20 percent.
5 top tips to help cut emissions
1 Take public transport
If you’ve never tried taking the bus before you really must. You’ll be surprised how comfortable they are, but more importantly, taking the bus is not only kinder to the environment, it’s also kinder to your wallet. A single journey to anywhere will cost you one dirham. That’s right, you drop the coin in the money box next to the driver when you board. Alternatively, grab an OJRA day pass for Dhs3 (unlimited journeys all day long). There is a monthly pass available too. For information on bus routes visit www.ojra.ae.
2 Carpool
For those who can’t bear the thought of public transport, try battling the morning commute via a carpool: aka sharing a lift to work with your colleagues or friends. Not only will this mean you don’t always have to worry about driving every morning, but you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint. See www.sharekni.ae or www.carpoolworld.com for carpool options.
3 Take direct flights
There’s a lot of flying involved when it comes to living here (after all, the majority of the UAE’s population is expatriate). While we all need to get home (or take a holiday) now and then, it’s important to keep your carbon footprint in mind. Where possible, fly direct or, better still, keep tabs on your carbon footprint with websites such as www.carbonfootprint.com. You could also donate to tree-planting initiatives and other charitable schemes every time you hop onto a plane (see www.cambridgecarbonfootprint.org).
4 Turn your hot water off
Why waste cash leaving your hot water on when you only need to use it for a few short periods of the day? Do your bit by ensuring your water heater is off whenever you’re not using it. And, over the summer, we find that using the cold tap is warm enough anyway.
5 Buy second-hand
Every single item you buy has a carbon footprint. So help your wallet and the world by keeping your wardrobe in circulation for longer. Offer your friends to rummage through your unwanted pieces, buy quality second-hand clothes on Dubizzle or Ebay, or, if you’re a big vintage fan who simply must try before buying, visit Garderobe in Dubai (04 394 2753) or the Dubai Flea Market (www.dubaifleamarket.com).
3 tips for preserving the local environment
Spare a thought for the UAE’s non-human inhabitants and the country’s natural beauty
‘On the face of it, our beaches are very clean, but you don’t have to dig far to see they’re not half as clean as you think,’ says Volunteer in Dubai founder Lola Lopez, who organises regular voluntary beach clean-ups. She says the biggest problem is cigarette butts – during one clean-up drive, her team uncovered more than 550,000 butts on Dubai’s beaches in just 14 hours. If you think Abu Dhabi’s beaches are any different, you should think again.
1 Don’t throw cigarette butts on the beach – use a bin
‘The filter of a cigarette is the most poisonous part, designed to protect humans from the most harmful chemicals in the cigarette, and fish will mistake it for food and nibble it,’ says Lola. ‘It’s killing our marine life. Use a bin or a drinks can to dispose of your butts – don’t just throw them on the ground.’
2 Pick up all rubbish
Litter puts wildlife at risk on a daily basis. The biggest risk is to the UAE’s bird population: bids swoop in looking for scraps, only to become trapped or poisoned by what we throw away. Our beaches are littered with rubbish left behind by tourists who fail to clean up after themselves. While you might not be a litter bug, there’s no harm in picking up other people’s litter. If you see some potentially hazardous litter that could harm an animal, don’t take the attitude that it’s nothing to do with you. We can all do our bit to help.
3 Be a happy (and also a careful) camper
For some reason, many people who would never normally drop litter seem to think it’s acceptable to leave the remnants of a camping adventure in the midst of the desert – where it could remain for years. Desert animals, such as the endangered Arabian oryx, can become fatally trapped or injured while foraging for food. In short: always leave without leaving a trace.
The world’s greenest cities
The global Green City Index takes into account energy and CO2, sanitation, land use, buildings, water, transport, waste management and environmental governance. According to its findings, Europe’s greenest city is Copenhagen in Denmark, while Accra in Ghana tops the top of Africa’s list. Singapore, meanwhile, is top in Asia, while San Francisco and Vancouver lead the way in Northern America.
