UAE uses fewer plastic bags, but shoppers still go through 11bn a year

The Ministry of Environment and Water revealed that residents are using fewer plastic bags in the country, moving towards the third-phase of the initiative "Plastic-Free UAE".

The move to reusing bags in place of the plastic will continue, with a number of awareness programmes aimed at various segments of the population, Dr Mariam Al Shanassi, assistant undersecretary for technical affairs at the ministry, told Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper to The National.

Ministry statistics showed residents use a whopping 11 billion plastic bags annually.

Dr Al Shanassi noted that the third phase of the programme includes rationing and decreasing the use of plastic bags in general.

Among the various projects included in this phase is the "Plastic-Free Schools" project to be implemented in various school zones across the country.

newsdesk@thenational.ae