UAE supermarket considers charging for plastic bags

Would you pay for a plastic carrier bag? (pspatarapol/123rf)

How would you feel about paying for plastic bags when shopping for groceries?

It's one of the ideas that's being considered by one of the UAE's major supermarkets as they look to tackle the global issue of plastic pollution.

Tom Harvey, Buying Director at Spinneys, told Dubai Eye 103.8's Business Breakfast that customers are asking for a reduction in the amount of plastic used in store.

"We hear it every day from our customers that plastic is now a very, very important topic to them and we absolutely are doing things. We know we have a lot more to do, both in terms of what we do within the stores and with the products we're selling.

"There's a lot we've got underway", Harvey explained. 

"We've been doing trials with our Waitrose stores to replicate what happens in the UK with charges for the single-use carrier bags and there's a lot more that we continue to look at in terms of more reusable bags and what we can do with packaging across the whole of the store."

More from Local News

News

  • UAE develops drone cybersecurity guidelines

    The UAE Cybersecurity Council (CSC) announced on Saturday the development of national guidelines for drones in the country.

  • 34th Arab Summit kicks off in Baghdad

    The 34th Arab Summit opened today in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, with the participation of all Arab states and representatives from various international and regional organisations.

  • Abu Dhabi to cultivate 4 million coral colonies by 2030

    His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), has directed the cultivation of over 4 million coral colonies by 2030, covering more than 900 hectares - an initiative described as the world’s largest of its kind.