The New Year rings in a welcome change for many of us in the UAE, especially for those who will be moving in and out of the Dubai airports. The premises will be bereft of single-use plastic, a great start to 2020 (“Dubai Airports to be plastic free from January,” Dec.9, Gulf Today).

Though the exercise will be implemented in a phased manner over the year, it will be a huge challenge for the management team and business outlets at the airports, considering the huge footfall. Annually over 90 million passengers pass through the airports consuming tens of thousands of plastic items from straws to water bottles to coffee lids on a daily basis. But a plastic-free airport is achievable and I am sure Dubai will lead the way and be a trend setter in that respect.

In light of this, last year the UK launched something similar — UK Plastics Pact — and it garnered a good response. A few days back it published its first annual report which revealed that one billion unnecessary single-use plastic items will be eliminated by the end of the coming year. It also stated that Pact members which include Sainsbury’s, Nestlé and Coca-Cola, among others, were halfway towards all their packaging being recyclable and a third of the way towards using an average of 30 per cent recycled content in their packaging.

The targets that the industry as a whole aim to meet by 2025, include the complete elimination of “problematic or unnecessary” single-use plastic packaging by developing new designs and alternative delivery methods. That is something, indeed.

So if you are planning to travel next year via the Dubai airports make sure you carry a reusable water bottle, environment friendly carry bags, etc. Seriously speaking, why only Dubai airport, let us be environment friendly irrespective. It surely makes for a worthy New Year resolution.

Peter Ryan
By email