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Sharjah:
Cooperative outlets in the emirate have
announced that they will introduce biodegradable
plastic bags.
The positive move came as Gulf
News continues its campaign against
plastic bags.
"It is the first time that
environmentally-friendly plastic shopping bags
will be introduced in the UAE retail
market," said Mohammad Ahmad Ameen, General
Secretary of the Sharjah Cooperative Society.
He said the new bags differ from the current
plastic bags because they biodegrade at a rate
between four and nine months.
The plastic bags commonly used take around 1,000
years to biodegrade.
Ameen said the new bags are the first of their
kind in the country, as they disintegrate into
nothing more than carbon dioxide and water, and
do not leave residues or petroleum polymers in
the soil.
"They
have been proven to be environmentally safe and
are naturally recycled and are able to return to
nature in the form of carbon dioxide and
water," said Ameen, adding that it cuts
down the environmental damage caused by plastic
products.
Gulf
News
has been campaigning against the use of plastic
bags and asking shoppers, shops, and private and
public sector organisations to say ’No to
Plastic Bags’. The response has been very
positive with increasing number of people
supporting the campaign.
"We support the Gulf
News campaign against plastic bags every
step of the way because it is important to
protect the environment for the sake of our
children and our country," said Ameen.
The Sharjah Cooperative uses about 24 million
shopping bags every year.
A factory based in
Fujairah
, Al Fujairah Plastic Factory, has agreed to
supply the bags after carrying out studies.
Khalid Al Ka’abi, chief executive of Al
Fujairah Plastic Factory, said the factory uses
British technology in producing the
environmentally-friendly biodegradable bags.
"The factory’s product has passed all
tests to ensure its positive effect on the
environment, as compared to other products in
the market," said Ameen.
He stressed that the move is within the
framework of the cooperative’s keenness to
participate in the efforts of the government of
Sharjah to protect the environment.
The price difference between the old and new
bags has been covered by the cooperative’s
marketing budget, and Ameen assured consumers
that they will not have to pay any additional
costs for the bag. He said that consumers will
not be able to differentiate between the new and
old bags as they have the same texture, and the
only difference lies in its composition.
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