Dubai Airports prepares to cut single-use plastics

UAE – Mubasher: As the clock is ticking towards the self-imposed deadline to ban single-use plastics, Dubai International Airport (DXB) is actively laying the groundwork to eliminate plastic cutlery and drinking straws.

In June 2019, Dubai Airports vowed that Dubai’s two airports DXB and Dubai World Central (DWC) will be free of single-use plastics as from 1 January 2020.

The operator of the world’s busiest airports has been working with over 250 of its hospitality and concession partners to implement the pledge by the beginning of the new year.

"Among the challenges faced, the biggest is sourcing alternatives for plastic bottles, one of the most frequently used and discarded pieces of single-use plastics,” Dubai Airports’ executive vice president commercial Eugene Barry said.

In the first phase of the pledge, cafés, restaurants and shops will no longer use plastic cutlery, take-away food packaging and polythene bags, while in the next 12 months, additional products will be replaced.

“Along with our partners, including global brands such as McDonalds, Costa Coffee and Starbucks, we are committed to not only removing single-use plastics but in their place providing appropriate and importantly sustainable alternatives,” Barry said.

Fast food giant McDonald’s said it will replace more than 5.6 million items with recyclable materials at the two airports, while Costa Coffee pledged to replace its plastic-lined cups with a fully renewable, plant-based “smart” cups.

Source: Mubasher Source: {{details.article.source}}