Abu Dhabi achieves 95% reduction in plastic bag use

Abu Dhabi has managed to cut the use of 364 million single-use plastic bags since the implementation of a ban on June 1, 2022.

This is equivalent to 2,400 tonnes of plastic, or 547,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, which is the same as 130,000 gasoline-powered cars driving for a year.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), emphasized the success of the policy, with a 95% reduction in plastic bag use and a significant rise in the use of reusable bags.

"For context, this represents a 95 per cent reduction in the total number of plastic bags distributed at the emirate's cash counters. Prior to the policy’s implementation, shoppers used three bags per shopping trip, but now only use 0.4 bags. This has also led to a 2,000 per cent increase in the number of reusable bags in just one year, increasing from 603 bags in 2022 to 26,075 bags in 2023 at one of the emirate’s main outlets," she explained.

In addition, the EAD's 'Incentive-based Bottle Return Scheme', which was launched in 2023, has already collected over 130 million bottles from around 150 Reverse Vending Machines and smart bins, contributing 2,000 tonnes of recyclable plastic.

The agency also reported a 97% compliance rate with the June 2024 ban on certain Styrofoam products, ahead of the federal ban set for 2026.

The EAD anticipates that by the end of this year, over 400 million plastic bags will have been saved, with the collection of 90 million bottles for recycling in 2024 alone.

Following a ban on single-use plastic bags from 1 June 2022, @EADTweets has recorded that 364 million plastic bags have been saved and more than 130 million plastic bottles have been collected from 150 Reverse Vending Machines, smart bins and door-to-door collections. pic.twitter.com/vHnFmsFFq4

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) December 23, 2024