Wednesday, Mar 07, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai Thousands of shoppers were handed eco-friendly totes bags in exchange for their plastic bags at a shopping mall yesterday.
The ‘Monster Bag’ campaign was inspired by the UAE’s objective to ban plastic bags by 2013 and endorse substitutes such as jute, paper or biodegradable plastic bags. In an effort to raise awareness, organisations, Recycle for a Cause and Plastic Not So Fantastic expedition, along with the Ministry of Environment and Water supported Lush Cosmetics that organised the campaign at their stores in the UAE.
The used plastic bags were collected by a ‘bag monster’ — the person designated to approach shoppers, and ask for their plastic bags in return for a free eco-friendly tote. The bags were pinned onto the person’s attire. Shoppers were also handed out educational fliers that highlighted the adverse environmental effects of using plastic. The collected bags will be recycled into attractive carrier bags by local charity Recycle for a Cause.
“We expect to get thousands of bags from this campaign,” Susan Tabler from Recycle for a Cause told Gulf News.
Sara Grannell, spokesperson from Monster Bag told Gulf News the campaign had been launched for the first time in the UAE. “It is active in our stores worldwide.”
To watch a video on the Monster Bag campaign that surprised shoppers with eco-friendly totes in exchange for their plastic bag, log on to www.gulfnews.com/gntv
Carolina D’Souza/Gulf News
Baggy dress
Sara Grannell (second from left), marketing and PR manager for Lush, with store employees Claire Fisher (centre) dressed as the ‘Bag Monster’.
Thousands of mall goers given free eco-friendly bags to raise awareness
Fact file
n Plastic production uses eight per cent of the world’s oil production. Plastic bags are a toxic, non-renewable resource. Millions of barrels of oil are used to make millions of plastic bags that the UAE consumes annually.
n Camels in the UAE desert have been found with stomachs full of plastic weighing up to 58kg.
n 96 per cent of the world’s plastic is not recycled
n A person uses a plastic carry bag on average for only 12 minutes
n Every adult uses an average of about 300 plastic bags per year
n Plastic waste kills up to one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals, turtles and countless fish each year.
— Source: Plastic Not So Fantastic
By Carolina DSouza ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
