Recycling insufficient to combat current plastic pollution, experts say

Dubai - Here in the UAE, the government has outlined its support towards sustainability in policies such as the Single Use Plastic Policy and the UAE Circular Economy

Recycling and reusing items in their current format alone are insufficient methods of combatting plastic pollution, experts and business leaders across the UAE said.

Instead, the world needs to collectively take steps to consider and manage our plastic usage. This includes improving waste collection and scaling up on recycling efforts, switching to recyclable plastics, and eliminating unrecyclable plastics from the supply chain.

Speaking to Khaleej Times ahead of International Plastic Bag Free Day, which falls on July 3, Deyan Dimitrov, CEO of Laundryheap, says that it is no secret that plastic is the one of the biggest contributors to environmental damage; its detrimental impact contributes to a range of issues from the contamination of marine life deep in the oceans to microplastics polluting the water we drink, and entering our bodies through the food chain. He revealed that in the next 10 years, an estimated 22 million tonnes of discarded plastic – and potentially up to 58 million tonnes – will end up in our seas each year.

“This is a sobering thought,” he said. “While we’ve seen the global campaign to mitigate plastic waste gain considerable speed in the past few years, it hasn’t quite reached the levels that will make a meaningful dent in this growing issue. In fact, only nine per cent of plastic ever produced is recycled. To save our planet, its ecosystems and all those who inhibit these, we need to take steps towards turning off the plastic tap and eliminating our everyday reliance on it.”

Dimitrov also noted that businesses across the UAE are stepping up their efforts and commitment to sustainable practices. For example, one of the key steps that Laundryheap has taken to reduce its plastic footprint is eliminating the use of single-use plastic laundry bags in its services. These have been replaced with reusable cotton bags, which are a more sustainable option. “The transition has saved over 20,000 plastic bags over the last few months alone. In addition, we are working on integrating microfibre capturing bags for synthetic items as a priority to further curb the microplastic emissions of every wash.”

SUPs have to go

Several experts across the UAE’s hospitality and tourism sectors pointed to the use of single-use plastics (SUPs) as a key contributor of plastic pollution, and announced plans to curb and, in many cases, completely eliminate their use across the industry.

Jan Moenkedieck, GM of Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, revealed that Hilton has rolled out several initiatives to cut its environmental footprint in half. “We have replaced plastic key cards with RFID-enabled recycled wood key cards; removed single-use plastic water bottles; introduced water stations across the hotel; eliminated plastic straws in restaurants; and are continuing to encourage team members and guests to minimize plastic waste more broadly.”

This project has proven a huge success, so far reducing the hotel’s plastic waste by 10 tonnes over the last two years. “It is incredibly important for us to share why and how we can phase out single-use plastics in our everyday lives, and one which we are committed to furthering in the coming years,” Moenkedieck said.

Similarly, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, in October 2019, pledged to eliminate all SUPs across its portfolio of luxury hotels by the end of March 2021. Three months on from that deadline, the group has made significant progress towards meeting the goal, despite ongoing challenges. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the group had achieved nearly 70 per cent reduction in this annual plastic footprint. Based on estimated plastic stock depletion timelines and supplier delivery commitments, it is expected that all hotels will eliminate SUP by the end of the second quarter of 2022, avoiding 930 tonnes of plastic waste each year.

“Although our ambitious timeline to eliminate all single-use plastic from our premises by the end of March 2021 has been deferred by one year, largely as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have made massive progress, with a majority of our hotels expected to reach the elimination goal by the end of July this year,” said Group CEO James Riley. “Despite the ongoing challenging conditions, our colleagues have continued to embrace our commitment to deliver on the group’s sustainability responsibilities.”

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links Abu Dhabi, both of which are owned by Aldar Properties, have announced that they have eliminated all SUP bottles as of March 2021, underlining their commitment to environmental sustainability. A combined total of over 100,000 plastic water bottles are consumed by golfers between the two properties on an annual basis. The goal now is to reduce this figure by 40 per cent this year. Members and guests will be encouraged to use and refill their own reusable water bottles from the water coolers throughout their round.

“As plastic waste and pollution increases, we should all be making a conscious effort to do our part,” said Francisco de Lancastre David, cluster general manager at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. “I’m proud to have both golf clubs onboard with this new sustainable initiative, which will reduce our carbon footprint significantly and I hope that our members and visitors will be encouraged by this when visiting the course.”