Abu Dhabi, Aug 18th, 2011 (WAM) -- Following the success of the launch of its Make UAE Plastic-Bag Free campaign, the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) is again working with its partners this Ramadan to raise awareness of the harmful effects of plastic bags and to encourage people to use reusable bags instead.
This weekend, major retailers - Carrefour, Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Lulu Hypermarket, Spinneys and Abela will be holding aPlastic Bag-Free Weekend, which will see them distribute to shoppers canvas jute bags and leaflets promoting sustainable alternatives, in addition to organising exciting giveaways. A competition on Emirates FM (95.8) Sabah Al Noor show is outlining the negative impacts of plastic bag use on our environment and our biodiversity. Throughout Ramadan, listeners have a chance to win AED18,000 worth of vouchers, courtesy of EADs retail partners. In 2009, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water issued a Ministerial Decision to implement a programme to reduce the use of plastic bags and ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in coordination with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology. In February 2011, EAD with the support of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and in partnership with the Center for Waste Management Abu Dhabi, launched a Make UAE Plastic Bag-Free! campaign and weekend to encourage the community to switch from plastic to reusable bags. The initiative is in support of the governments initiative to phase out the use of plastic bags in the UAE by 2013.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
