The UAE is doing every bit to eliminate the use of plastics. The year kicked off with Dubai Airports Now Free Of Single-Use Plastics. Moving forward, Abu Dhabi recently announced that it will soon be free of single-use plastics. And now, a famous supermarket chain in Dubai- Choithrams is following suit. The supermarket has announced that will be charging customers for plastic bags. The fee however, applies only to physical stores and not for online orders.
What’s It?
UAE’s famous supermarket chain Choithrams will now charge you for plastic bags. The effort is a bid to encourage shoppers to bring their own cloth bags, thereby curbing the use of single-use plastic. The supermarket will charge a fee of 15 fils for a small bag and 30 fils for a large bag. The move comes in line with European markets that charge a small fee for plastic bags.
Alternatively, in case you forget to carry your own bag, ‘Bags for life’- reusable bags are available at the store for immediate purchase. Besides, Choithrams is also offering free home delivery for purchase above AED 50 until end of March. And that’s not all! The supermarket also took a leap towards turning sustainable.
Choithrams, in a recent tweet announced that credit card transaction receipts will now be paperless. This is the first supermarket in the region to make this move.
What Else?
On another note, Abu Dhabi residents might not be able to use plastic cutlery like disposable plates and plastic straws. The capital has announced to ban the use of single use plastics by 2021. And that’s not all! A bottle-return scheme is also part of the new move. According to the scheme, residents will be compensated for returning used containers for recycling. The first phase of the new initiative will impose charges on residents for the usage of plastic bags and other disposable items.
.@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
Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi said: “The launch of the single-use plastics policy reflects our commitment to a more sustainable economy that seeks to minimize waste and protect vital ecosystems in our environment.”
By bringing to effect the new ban, Abu Dhabi will join more than 127 countries that have already taken measures to ban or limit the use of disposable plastics. Over 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the world’s oceans annually, affecting marine life. The issue is of grave concern as it poses a threat to our ecosystem as a whole. About 11 billion plastic bags are used annually in the UAE alone- that’s roughly 1,184 per person.