As many as 13 billion plastic bags are consumed in the UAE each year, and hence FNC members urged for swift action by the Ministry of Environment (MoE) to abolish non-decomposable bags and called for alternative environmental-friendly products.  

The MoE has introduced a number of programmes that aim to abolish the use of non-decomposable products in the country. Various initiatives and programmes have been introduced which will help reduce the number of plastic products and will be accomplished in coordination with shops and supermarkets. The MoE will push the parties concerned, companies and shops to find alternatives to plastic bags. Programmes are also being introduced in schools to educate children about the negative impact of plastics and non-decomposable products on the environment. Through these initiatives, the Ministry of Environment aims to complete the goal of a plastic-bag free nation this year.

Many studies and scientific research highlight the health damage caused by compounds that are used in the production of plastic materials, especially on children, foetuses and the environment as a result of excessive use. The misuse and careless disposal of these materials leads to suffocation, especially among children, and death of wild animals and marine life.

The four main phases of this initiative- the community?s education about the initiative and the hazards of non-biodegradable plastic bags, the alternatives of non-biodegradable plastic bags, relevant laws and regulations and the enforcement of these laws and regulations.

Global plastic waste annually: 32 million tonnes

* A study by Earth Policy Institute indicated that over one trillion plastic bags are consumed globally. Furthermore, almost 32 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually, thus representing 12.7 per cent of total municipal solid waste, as indicated by Environmental Protection Agency.

* Moreover, the US consumes over 100 billion plastic bags each year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. In 2009, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also called on a ban on plastic bags, stating that it chokes marine life.

* Each year, 10 per cent of the plastic produced globally end up in the ocean, while 70 per cent will end on the ocean floor and unlikely to degrade.

* So far, selected stores in San Francisco have banned the use of plastic bags, as well as in Portland, Oregon and Coastal North Carolina. In the UK, Modbury became the first town to ban the use of plastic bags.

* Mexico City also adopted the ban, as well as Sydney's Oyster Bay, which was the first Australian suburb to introduce the environmental-friendly rule.

* Rwanda, having a reputation for being one of the cleanest nations in the world, has made non-biodegradable polythene bags illegal since 2008.

Source: khaleejtimes,gulfnews