As Dubai gears up to introducing a 25 fils ($0.07) charge for single-use bags, authorities have clarified that this is not limited to plastic bags.
From July 1, the mandatory tariff will be applied to all single-use bags — made of plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and plant-based biodegradable materials — that are 57 micrometres thick, Dubai Municipality said on Friday.
A micrometre is one thousandth of a millimetre.
All stores must levy the charge for each single-use bag, and a different tariff can be applied to reusable alternatives, if provided by the store.
Stores are not obliged to provide free alternatives, as the goal is to push a change in consumer behaviour to protect the environment, the municipality said.
The charge is the first step towards a complete ban on single-use plastic bags in Dubai in two years. Retailers will get four months to roll out the charge.
The 25 fils fee will be added to the bill.
There will be no limit on the number of bags sold to customers at the checkout counters but staff will be trained to rationalise the use of carrier bags when packing and delivering purchases, officials said.
Dubai recommends that private sector retailers donate the money to support sustainable initiatives, either through the company or local environmental and community associations.
Disposable bags are a major source of litter and pollution in the environment.
“It should be noted that alternatives often have a larger environmental footprint than plastic bags but are easier to manage at the disposal stage and cause less environmental and health damage, provided they are used properly,” the municipality said in a release.
“For example, the production of paper bags is also harmful to the environment and leads to the cutting of a large number of trees and consumes great resources and energy, and therefore its use also requires paying the imposed fees.
“Single-use plastic bags have a lower environmental footprint than paper bags in the manufacturing stage, but their damages lie in the disposal stage.
“We need to use paper bags at least three to seven times to have a lower environmental impact than non-recyclable plastic bags.”
Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim Carrefour announced last year that it would stop providing single-use plastic bags at the checkout counters of two of its Dubai branches — Carrefour Hypermarket at Cityland Mall and Carrefour Market at Arabian Ranches 1.
A study last year found that hundreds of camels across the UAE have died as a result of eating plastic over the past decade.
Of 30,000 postmortems carried out on camels since 2008, in the field or in a laboratory by staff from Dubai’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, about 300 had died because of polybezoars — stone-like lumps of indigestible material including plastic, rope and other litter that block the digestive tract.
It means about one per cent of camel deaths in the UAE is due to the animal eating plastic waste left behind by people.
Worldwide, almost 300 million tonnes of plastic pollution is produced each year — equivalent to the weight of the entire human population, according to figures released by the UN Environment Programme.
Only nine per cent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, dumps or polluting the environment.
The UN says that if current trends continue, the ocean could contain more plastic than fish by weight by 2050.
Alternatives to plastic bags — from canvas totes to keychain bags
More on Quran memorisation:
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
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Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
GAC GS8 Specs
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
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Scoreline
Germany 2
Werner 9', Sane 19'
Netherlands 2
Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'
SUZUME
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
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