Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

As part of its ongoing efforts to increase the public transport sector’s contribution to achieving a more sustainable life in Abu Dhabi, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, has launched a new initiative under the title, "Points for Plastic: the Bus Tariff."

The move is in line with Abu Dhabi’s single-use plastic policy, which is working to establish an incentive-based plastic bottle return scheme.

The initiative encourages public transport passengers to obtain free trips on public buses by gaining points each time they hand in empty plastic bottles, which are then used to pay for bus fares.

The initiative has been launched in cooperation with Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre "Tadweer", and "DGrade,” a UAE-based company that specialises in recycling plastics into different industrial materials by using environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, whereby empty plastic bottles are deposited in "Dgrade" machines and a voucher containing points is obtained for each plastic bottle handed in.

The campaign aims to increase recycling rates in cooperation between relevant strategic partners.

The points balance can be compiled and transferred to the “Hafilat” Personalised Bus Card, the ITC automated payment system, which calculates the fare required for the trip and automatically deducts it from the cash value stored in the card via the tariff machines installed at bus entrances and exits.

In the first phase of the initiative, a plastics deposit machine will be installed in Abu Dhabi’s main bus station enabling passengers to exchange empty plastic containers for points.

The Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre "Tadweer" will be providing the necessary support to collect empty plastic containers from the main bus stations and deliver to the treatment facilities to be recycled in accordance with the best sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.

 The ITC confirmed that the points will be calculated as follows: each single small bottle (600 ml or less) will gain 1 point, while larger containers or bottles exceeding 600 ml will gain 2 points.

Each point is equal 10 fils, so 10 points equals Dh1.

The ITC has finalised all the details, requirements and guidelines for the launch of this initiative, and has clarified the mechanism for collecting points through the empty bottle deposit machines.