Middle East countries like Dubai and Sharjah are popularly known for their measures towards reducing single-plastic usage. Following their footprints, Abu Dhabi also announced its success in reducing plastic usage. As compared to earlier, plastic usage in Abu Dhabi is significantly reduced by 90%. This reduction came into play after the Emirates banned the usage of single-use plastic in June 2022.
As per the stats, after the ban on single-use plastic in Abu Dhabi on 1st June, the reduction score reached half a million bags per day. In 2019, Abu Dhabi’s yearly plastic bag usage was approximately 11 billion. This suggests an annual estimate of 13 million plastic tonnes in the ocean globally.
To end the constant environmental degradation caused by plastic bags, banning them was a mandatory step to get started. Presently, Abu Dhabi is conducting routine inspections to observe plastic usage and the replacement of reusable materials.
see also – Single-Use Plastic Ban in Uttar Pradesh – Effective from 1st July
These inspections revealed that the retail outlets contribute most of the contribution towards reducing plastic. They have signed a voluntary agreement in favour of banning plastic. In fact, they are using reusable bags instead of plastic bags to make their contribution towards a sustainable future. Also, 80% of the retail outlets supported the government’s ban on plastic.
Apart from this, the establishment of the recycling sector has begun. The vision is to recycle 8,000 tonnes of plastic bottles in the next five years. Recently, the emirates have developed around 25 reusable material swaps for plastic. If this step towards saving the environment continues at this pace, the coming generations might witness negligible usage of single plastic in Abu Dhabi.
