The Dubai Municipality is stepping up its efforts to reduce plastic waste in the Emirate, according to a report in Gulf News.
Last year, Dubai produced approximately 1m tonnes of plastic waste. That figure included around 3.6m plastic bags, a 25 per cent rise over 2013.
“The city of Dubai is producing almost 9,300 tonnes of domestic waste per day,” said Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, director of the Waste Management Department at the Dubai Municipality. “Thirty per cent of it unfortunately is plastic.”
The Dubai Municipality has revealed that it is seeking to divert 75 per cent of waste from landfills by 2021 through various projects and campaigns organised by the Waste Management Department.
“All our campaigns target segregating waste at source and promoting recycling and reuse,” said Al Saifaie. “We have set up 13 Smart Sustainable Oasis Centres, where people can easily deposit as many as 18 types of recyclable items including plastic. In the second phase of the project, we are expecting shopping centres and malls to come forward to set up these collection centres for recyclables.”
However, according to a survey commissioned by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), efforts to curb plastic use and boost recycling will require education.
The survey revealed that only 38 per cent of GCC residents had an informed view of recycleable and degradable plastics, with most being unable to identify which plastics could be recycled.
