Dubai: Starting the New Year on a happy note and with a bold initiative, two of Dubai’s airports, Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) aim to be free of single-use plastics in a bid to manage environmental impact.
With an influx of 90 million passengers every year, Dubai stands as one of the world’s busiest international ports. Post a pledge undertaken in June 2019 to reduce the use of plastic, the two airports have been working with more than 250 of its concession and hospitality partners to execute it’s a ‘plastic-free’ pledge.
Prior to embarking on this journey, Dubai Airports conducted a specially commissioned survey on the recycling habits of travellers. The results revealed that only 5% of travellers from the UAE manage to completely avoid plastic.
Over half (52%) of respondents claim to carry a reusable water bottle while travelling and 49% choose to dine in an airport restaurant to avoid plastic packaging that comes with take-out food options.
Almost a third (32%) of respondents refuse to buy items at the airport containing non-recyclable materials while 92% of respondents state that airports should be more vocal about what steps they are taking to recycle waste.
Consuming tens of thousands of plastic items, from straws to water bottles to coffee lids daily, the plastic-free initiative did present some serious challenges for those involved.
Dubai Airports – which manages the operation and development of both of Dubai’s airports – DXB and DWC -said the process will involve a phased approach which will see plastic cutlery, drinking straws, takeaway food packaging and polythene bags be removed from cafés, restaurants and shops from January 1, 2020.
Through the year, other plastic products in customer spaces will be replaced. A notable partner among others is the fast-food powerhouse, McDonald’s who will be replacing a total of 5,608,740 items with recyclable materials at the Dubai airports.
Backing this initiative, the Coffee giant Costa has also committed to replacing its plastic-lined cups with a 100% renewable, plant-based “smart” cup. The coffee giant uses over 2.6 million cups a year at Dubai airports alone, so a significant impact will be made. This will be followed by the introduction of a coffee cup lid made entirely from wood and paper fibre instead of single-use plastic.]