Single-use plastic bags won’t be free in Dubai after July 1, 2022. Users are being encouraged to transition to environmentally beneficial shopping habits by lowering their reliance on single-use plastic bags with a cost of 25 fils per bag. But did you know that if you don’t use alternatives to plastic bags frequently enough, you could be harming the environment even more?
The Dubai Municipality informed users in a statement earlier this year that alternatives to single-use bags have their own ecological footprints and should be used responsibly to protect the environment. For instance, if you use a paper bag just once, it will have a larger ecological impact than a single-use plastic bag. According to Dubai Municipality, a paper bag needs to be used three to seven times minimum before it has a less negative environmental impact than a non-recyclable plastic bag used to transport goods.
Similar to this, you must be conscious of the ecological footprint of each choice and make sure you reuse them frequently enough to avoid harming the environment.
How often does one need to use an alternative to a single-use plastic bag?
The frequency of using an alternative is broken down as follows:
- Paper bag – at least seven times.
- The plastic bag that has been recycled; use the bag at least four times.
- Cotton fabric bag: use it 131 times or more.
If you don’t utilize these alternatives frequently enough, your use of single-use bags will leave a bigger environmental footprint.
Which plastic bags will be banned?
On July 1, 2022, all businesses operating in Dubai, including restaurants, pharmacies, and e-commerce delivery, will be subject to the policy imposing a levy on single-use bags.
Single-use plastic bags used to transport items at the point of purchase that meet the following criteria are being gradually phased out:
- Bags that are no thicker than 57 micrometers.
- This covers bags manufactured of plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic, and materials derived from plants that are biodegradable.
Single-use plastic bags will no longer be allowed after the next two years, while you can still use them provided you pay 25 fils per bag.