Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has launched a citywide sustainability movement designed to inspire people to make a difference.
Dubai Can, which will be implemented by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, will encourage UAE residents to turn the tide on plastic and inspire mass action to actively reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles.
The initiative seeks to motivate communities across the city to undertake simple changes such as using refillable water bottles and public water stations and installing water filters in their homes, offices and schools.
Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism said: “The Dubai Can initiative is one of the innovative ideas that we are implementing to create a vibrant new green economy that will offer the world a unique model for sustainable development.
“Our objective is to inspire current and future generations to play their part in protecting the environment and conserving our natural resources.”
He added: “The initiative seeks to encourage citizens, residents and visitors to be active players in building a more sustainable future, and to contribute in saving wildlife and the marine environment. We hope Dubai Can will set in motion a new environmental movement across our city and the wider UAE, transforming the mindsets of people so that we can achieve positive change for a more sustainable future.”
Yousuf Lootah, executive director – Development & Investments of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said a typical resident in the country uses 450 plastic water bottles on an average in a year, which translates into a total of 4 billion plastic bottles being used annually in the UAE.
A single plastic bottle requires 400 years to decompose naturally, posing risks to environmental sustainability. Furthermore, plastic waste is responsible of the deaths of 1.1 million marine creatures globally, he added.
The initiative also complements the policy recently approved by The Executive Council of Dubai to limit single-use bags. A tariff of 25 fils will be imposed on single-use bags used for carrying goods, starting from July 1.
The policy will be evaluated over several stages until single-use carrier bags are completely banned within a span of two years.
According to Emirates Nature WWF1, the average person in the UAE consumes 94kg of plastic per year, of which a significant amount comprises single use bottles.
Plastic waste has a devastating effect on marine mammals and sea birds and impacts local populations of dolphins, sea turtles and birdlife.
Residents and visitors to Dubai will have access to more than 30 water stations across the city as part of this initiative, with prime public locations including beaches, parks, malls and major attractions.
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