Shorouk Awad (Dubai)
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has identified 5 ways to address pollution caused by plastic bags, and 3 alternatives to plastic bags, in an effort to achieve the goals of Ministerial Resolution No. 380 of 2022 regarding regulating the use of single-use products in the country’s markets, to constitute one of the measures aimed at protecting the environment from pollution. Resulting from the consumption of plastic bag products.
The Ministry stated that these methods are represented in reducing the use of plastic materials, participating in campaigns to clean the beaches and the sea, recycling plastic waste safely, supporting the policy of banning the use of plastic bags, and educating the community about the seriousness of the problem of pollution of plastic bags, while the 3 include alternatives to the use of plastic bags. , shopping trolley bags, cotton bags, non-woven bags.
The ministry indicated that the problem of pollution caused by plastic bags is one of the most environmental challenges facing the entire world, as the increased consumption of these products has led to the generation of a huge amount of waste, which negatively affects human and animal health and the environment, pointing out that the consumption of bags An estimated 5 trillion plastic bags are produced around the world annually, which is one of the factors negatively affecting the sustainability of life, as the accumulation of plastic bodies and particles in bags harms humanity and the planet.
The ministry indicated that the danger of plastic bags lies in the “polyethylene” material that is used to manufacture this type of bags, which is a long chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms, and when the plastic is exposed to high temperatures, it may leak out of the dangerous chemicals present in the plastic.
The Ministry stressed the urgent need to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags to protect the environment and human health from their harmful effects, by focusing community members on using alternatives to plastic bags, which contributes to reducing the consumption of these plastic products, as the annual consumption of plastic bags is estimated at UAE with about 11 billion plastic bags; This is equivalent to 1182 plastic bags per capita annually.
outright ban
The Ministry stated that, according to Resolution No. 380 of 2022 regarding regulating the use of single-use products in the country’s markets, a complete ban will be applied to all single-use plastic bags in the country by 2024, and other single-use bags by 2026, pointing out that the UAE’s experience in tackling pollution Plastic, represented by working to address this challenge from all angles, by adopting more sustainable consumption and production patterns, and educating producers and consumers about alternatives and what they can do, whether in the production chain or during the purchase of goods, to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up at the bottom of the oceans, seas and mountains. and wildlife.
monitoring software
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also launched, during the current year, an integrated program to monitor plastic waste in the marine and coastal environment of the country by implementing a set of scientific studies and benefiting from its results in strengthening efforts to limit the spread of this waste, as part of its efforts in the field of preserving marine resources. And the quality of sea water and the cleanliness of the beaches and in the general framework of sustainability. These studies focus on using a wide range of methods to measure the quantities and sizes of plastic in sea water and the country’s beaches. Highlight the need for society to adopt responsible consumption to reduce plastic waste, and not to dispose of it in sea water and the environment in general.
Campaigns and specifications
Among the indications of the UAE’s tremendous efforts to reduce the risks of plastic bags, the launch by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in 2009 of the “UAE Free of Plastic Bags” campaign, which lasted for three consecutive years, aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of these bags and urging them to reduce their use locally at an accelerated rate, and to adopt Mandatory Standard No. 500/2009 regarding the characteristics of plastic bags and other biodegradable plastic products, and the Ministry issuing Ministerial Resolution No. 451 of 2011 regarding obligating plastic bag manufacturers and plastic bag suppliers to register biodegradable plastic bag products, as the decision requires manufacturers and suppliers of plastic bags to register Biodegradable plastic bag products in accordance with the UAE Conformity Assessment System (ECAS) and the list of requirements and conditions for the registration of plastic bag products and other biodegradable waste, in accordance with UAE Standard 2009: 5009.UAE. Likewise, Ministerial Resolution No. 118 of 2013 obligated manufacturers and suppliers of plastic products to register biodegradable plastic products.
development goals
The “Monitoring Plastic Waste in the Marine Environment” program represents one of the most prominent efforts of the UAE, through which it aims to monitor this type of waste and work to take a number of measures to reduce these pollutants in all its waters and beaches. The program also contributes to the state’s achievement of the 14th goal of The Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, which aims to conserve the oceans, sea and marine resources and use them sustainably to achieve sustainable development.
The state also seeks, through the program, to raise society’s awareness of the health risks plastic waste can pose to marine organisms and negative threats to fisheries and humans alike. the environment.
2023-08-19 20:56:27
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