Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi records reduction of 364m plastic bags and collection of 130m+ plastic bottles from 150 Reverse Vending Machines and direct sources

Since the ban on single-use plastic bags came into effect on 1 June 2022, as part of the emirate’s Single-Use Plastic Policy, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has recorded that 364 million single-use plastic bags have been saved. This is the equivalent of 2,400 tonnes of plastic, or 547,000 tonnes of Green House Gases (GHGs), equating to 130,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles being driven for one year.

In 2023, EAD launched the Incentive-based Bottle Return Scheme initiative, in collaboration with key partners, to recover and recycle single-use plastic bottles. To date, more than 130 million bottles have been collected from around 150 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), smart bins, as well as door-to-door collections. The total amount of recyclable plastic collected is 2,000 tonnes – enough to fill up to 80 truckloads. So far, in 2024, 67 million bottles have been returned for recycling.

Similarly, on 1 June 2024, EAD imposed a ban on some Styrofoam products. The agency reported a 97 per cent compliance rate has been achieved among retailers, with a prediction of further compliance improvements by the end of the year. These proactive measures by the emirate are a prelude to the federal ban on targeted Styrofoam and plastic products which will become effective in 2026.

Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “When we launched the Abu Dhabi Single-Use Plastic Policy in 2020, which was followed by the ban on single-use plastic bags in 2022, we were the first in the region to do so, setting very ambitious targets to meet our commitments to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change.

“We knew that a consumer change in behaviour was the key to us being able to reduce the reliance on single-use plastics and nurture a culture of reuse and recycling. The Abu Dhabi community has proven to be more than collaborative and proactive, and as a result, we have recorded, during the past two years alone, a significant reduction of 364 million plastic 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. We also recorded the recovery of 130 million plastic bottles, and an increase in the number of companies concerned with recycling plastics in the emirate.

“Despite the decrease in the number of companies manufacturing single-use plastic products in Abu Dhabi – from 110 in 2022 to 88 in 2023 – we witnessed the establishment of 57 new recycling companies working in the emirate’s waste sector, which contributes to enhancing the quality of life and its sustainability, and enhances the circular economy system.

“We are delighted, as the residents of Abu Dhabi made an effort to embrace reusable bags and return their bottles to the Reverse Vending Machines for recycling, which has hugely contributed to our success. The results of a survey we conducted indicated that 84 per cent of the public are aware of the policy and its requirements, and 82 per cent said that the policy has a positive impact on quality of life, represented by clean beaches and waterways.

“We could not have achieved our ambitious goals without the cooperation of our strategic partners, including the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and retailers, who have worked closely with us to provide alternatives to single-use plastic products, in addition to helping us implement the ban on Styrofoam products.

“We are well on the way to having a positive impact on our environment as we reduce the amount of microplastic entering our precious ecosystems and harming our species.”

The agency predicts that the enforcement of the ban will have saved over 400 million single-use plastic bags by the end of this year. In the last nine months alone, consumption has decreased by 121.5 million bags. By the end of this year, the agency anticipates it will have collected 90 million single-use plastic bottles in 2024.