Waitrose aligns with UAE ban on single-use plastic bags

Waitrose & Partners UAE is phasing out all single-use plastic bags from its stores across the UAE, as the new policy set by The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi to ban single-use plastics at all checkouts came into force on June 1 in the emirate. Its stores in Dubai will follow suit from July 1.

Read: Single-use plastic ban in Abu Dhabi begins: Everything you need to know

Waitrose UAE will do the same regionally, starting with single-use plastic bags followed by the elimination of paper bags in the following months.

This also aligns with the Waitrose & Partners Plastic Plan, which aims to reduce the company’s impact on the environment by removing unnecessary plastics.

Encouraging customers to recycle and reuse

To encourage customers to use reusable bags, Waitrose will discount 25 fils from their total bill when customers bring one or more bags to shop with at store regardless the bag material or brand.

Sunil Kumar, CEO of Fine Fare Foods which owns and operates Waitrose UAE, said: “This ban is yet another step forward to a sustainable way of living that we are committed to encouraging at Waitrose. Waitrose is continuously innovating to reduce its environmental impact and emissions, and while we know there is still a lot of work to be done, the removal of single-use carrier bags is such an important step forward.”

The retailer aims to reduce consumption of, and reuse, as many materials as possible. Its team is also continually working across its supply chains and as well as its own operations to find solutions to divert as much waste from landfills as it can.

Waitrose has a line of reusable bags that can be purchased both in store and online from Dhs3.50, and includes a design by local Emirati print designer, Huda Al Nuaimi.

Did you know?

In Dubai, the government has imposed a 25 fils tariff on single-use plastic bags and aims to completely ban the use of these plastics by 2024.

Read: Dubai to impose tariff on single-use plastic bags from July 1

According to the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, 11 billion plastic bags are consumed annually in the country. This is equivalent to 1,182 plastic bags per person annually – an extremely high rate compared to the global average of 307 bags per person annually.