Masdar welcomes new policy to ban single-use plastics in Abu Dhabi

Masdar has welcomed the decision by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to ban the use of single-use plastic in Abu Dhabi by 2021.

In an announcement carried on WAM earlier this month, the EAD said the aim of the new policy, which will be implemented over the next two years (2020-21), was to reduce the amount of single-use plastic material and mitigate its harmful effects.

The policy, the first of its kind in the region, is designed to keep plastic out of the environment and eliminate the use of “avoidable single-use plastic and non-plastic materials by 2021 through recycling, re-use and encouraging more sustainable practices in the community”.

The EAD has identified the 16 most common single-use plastics that cause the largest amount of marine waste, according to global studies, and will be targeted to varying degrees during the new policy implementation.

These include plastic bags, beverage cups and lids, plastic cutlery, straws and stirrers and food containers. Plastic bottles will be targeted through the introduction of a plastic bottle return deposit scheme.

“As a pioneer in sustainable urban community development, Masdar welcomes the decision by the Abu Dhabi Government to introduce this policy on single-use plastics. Masdar has always taken an active role in promoting best practice for waste management – for instance, Masdar City recently won a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest mosaic made from recycled materials, helping to promote responsible recycling,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

Al Ramahi added: “Masdar is also helping the UAE to achieve its waste-management goals through the Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Facility, which we are developing in partnership with Bee’ah. This will help the UAE achieve its 2021 goal of diverting 75 per cent of solid waste from landfills.

“Sustainability is always at the heart of everything we do at Masdar City, and our holistic waste management strategy aims to address some of the world’s most pressing circular economy issues. To give one key example, we send all our construction waste to our recycling yard, so that it can be used in other projects around the city.

“Masdar is proud to support the UAE’s goals in sustainability and waste management.”