Abu Dhabi Environment announces avoiding the consumption of 364 million plastic bags

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi announced that it will avoid the consumption of 364 million single-use plastic bags, which is equivalent to 2,400 tons of plastic, or 547 thousand tons of greenhouse gases, which is also equivalent to the emissions resulting from 130,000 gasoline-powered passenger cars for a year.

This came since the ban on single-use plastic bags came into effect, on June 1, 2022, as part of the policy of single-use plastic materials in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

In the same context, in 2023, the Authority launched the “Incentive-Based Bottles Recovery” initiative, in cooperation with a number of key partners, with the aim of recovering and recycling single-use plastic bottles. To date, more than 130 million bottles have been collected from about 150 recovery machines. Bottles and smart containers, in addition to what was collected from the source, as this amount is equivalent to 2,000 tons of recyclable plastic, which fills about 80 trucks. The total collected during 2024 alone is about 67 million bottles.

In addition, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi imposed a ban on some Styrofoam products on June 1 of this year, and the compliance rate of retailers with this ban reached 97%, while the authority expects the compliance rate to increase by the end of the year.

These proactive measures come within the framework of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s preparations for the comprehensive ban on Styrofoam products and targeted plastic materials that the UAE will impose in 2026.

Her Excellency Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: “When we launched the Abu Dhabi policy for single-use plastics in 2020, followed by a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2022, we were at the forefront of taking this initiative in the region, and we identified… We set ambitious goals to fulfill our commitments to protecting the environment and reducing the effects of climate change.”

She added: “We realize the importance of changing consumer behavior in reducing reliance on single-use plastic materials, and motivating community members to adopt a culture of reuse and recycling. The Abu Dhabi community has demonstrated its commitment and endeavor to work proactively to contribute to achieving the ambitious goals of building a better future for all.”

She pointed out that thanks to this cooperation, during the past two years alone, we recorded a significant reduction in the number of plastic bags, amounting to 364 million bags, which is equivalent to a reduction of up to 95 percent of all plastic bags distributed in outlets in the emirate, as the number of bags used before the implementation of the policy was 3. Bags per shopping trip compared to 0.4 reusable bags currently.

She added that this contributed to increasing the number of reusable bags by 2,000% in just one year, as the number of reusable bags increased from 603 bags in 2022, to 26,075 bags in 2023, in one of the main sales outlets in the emirate, and recoveries were also made. 130 million plastic bottles, and the number of companies concerned with plastic recycling in the emirate has increased.

She said that although the number of companies manufacturing single-use plastic products in Abu Dhabi decreased from 110 in 2022 to 88 in 2023, we witnessed the establishment of 57 new companies working in the field of recycling in the waste sector in Abu Dhabi, which contributes to enhancing the quality of life. Its sustainability in the emirate and contributes to the circular economy system.

Dr. Al Dhaheri expressed her happiness with the efforts made by Abu Dhabi residents in switching to using reusable bags, and their commitment to visiting bottle recovery sites to recycle them – which contributed greatly to achieving this success, pointing out that the results of the opinion poll indicated that 84% of the public They are knowledgeable and aware of the policy and its requirements, and 82% of them indicated the positive impact of the policy on the quality of life represented by the cleanliness of beaches and water channels.

She added that the ambitious goals could not have been achieved without the cooperation of strategic partners, including the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, and retailers, who worked closely with the Authority to provide alternatives to single-use plastic products, in addition to helping it implement the ban on Styrofoam products. .

She said that the Authority is on the right track to make a positive impact on the environment, by reducing the amount of microplastic particles that pollute ecosystems and negatively affect biodiversity.

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi expects that by the end of this year, more than 400 million single-use plastic bags will have been avoided since the ban began.

It is noteworthy that during the past nine months alone, bag consumption decreased by 121.5 million bags, and the authority expects to collect 90 million single-use plastic bottles by the end of 2024.