Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has introduced the “Mission to Zero Government Challenge” for Abu Dhabi Government entities to promote the decrease of single-use items.
The organizations are required to provide findings regarding the amount of waste they produced and their percentage of reduction by the end of March 2023. The organization that records the highest percentage of waste reduction will be honoured.
The Single-Use Plastic Policy, which was introduced by EAD in March 2020, calls on government organizations to move away from single-use items. This challenge intends to support that policy. A guide for government organisations called “Becoming Free of Single-Use Products: A Guide for Abu Dhabi Government” was issued by EAD in June 2022, the same month that a ban on single-use plastic bags went into force.
The Agency developed the guide in both Arabic and English to inform government and private institutions, as well as their staff, about the policy. The purpose of the guidance is to promote a transition toward multi-use, environmentally friendly alternatives and declare Abu Dhabi government institutions free of single-use plastic and non-plastic materials by restricting their use. Products such as bags, cups and lids, cutlery, plates, stirrers, and bottles are a few examples of those that will be measured by government entities.
As we continue momentum of our Single-Use Plastic Policy, we have decided to launch a competition among government organisations in Abu Dhabi to see which organisation can reduce the largest amount of single-use products. Our long-term goal is all establishments of Abu Dhabi government environment becoming completely free of single-use products.
Mr. Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director of Environment Information, Science Outreach Management Sector at EAD, remarked.
“Since 2022, we have shared our guide with the government and organised a series of workshops for the employees and to date 3,247 have attended our sessions. We have seen positive cooperation from the government entities and through this challenge we will be taking larger steps forward towards declaring our government free from harmful products that jeopardise our environment,” Mr. Baharoon further added.
EAD developed an awareness toolkit that includes infographics and animations to assist organisations in implementing the recommendations.