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Dubai: Shoppers in the UAE need to be educated about the dangers posed to the environment by plastic bags.
Gulf News, as part of its campaign, is urging residents to say ‘No to Plastic Bags' and to use reusable alternatives instead, such as cotton or jute bags.
But despite knowing the harmful effects of plastic, Gulf News found many shoppers don't feel strongly enough about the issue to do something. Most shoppers said it was up to businesses to provide more options for the customer.
Many shoppers are aware of the problem but they think the issue is repressed and hardly think about it. Others said they were totally ignorant about the harmful effects of plastic bags while some said plastic carriers were the most convenient method of carrying groceries.
Renata Anderegg, a beautician from Brazil, said the extensive use of plastic bags was one of the first things she noticed upon arriving in the UAE.
"In Brazil there is much more awareness on the harmful effects of plastic. You often hear about the issue in the media and people are urged to cut down on using plastic," Anderegg said. "We use it rarely and the ones in use are much thinner. Recycling is also more rigorous," she added.
"Plastic bags are convenient but if I had another option I would use it because I know they are harmful to nature", said Syed Mohammad Haroon, a Pakistani nurse.
"I use the bags later for disposing garbage," he added. Haroon has been in the UAE for the past ten years. He admits to using 5-7 plastic bags everyday.
Leena Manoj, a bank employee, said she thinks the authorities are taking care of recycling plastic.
"I have never felt a need for the shops to switch from plastic bags to an alternative because I think the authorities are taking care of the plastic waste by recycling", she said.
Manoj said it wouldn't be a bad idea to use reusable shopping bags if the bag was given a facelift and turned into a fashion accessory that modern women can relate to.
Mohammad Basil, an electrical supervisor from Jordan said he was fully aware of the harmful effects of plastic. "I know it takes them hundreds of years to degrade. I wish they [supermarkets] changed to plastic bags because recycling is not very strong."
But his shopping cart had at least six additional plastic bags. He sheepishly admitted the salesman put them in. When asked by Gulf News whether he tried to limit the use of plastic bags, his daughter said: "He does not."
Rose Herrera, a driver from the Philippines, said he had no qualms about admitting to never having thought about the dangers of plastic bags.
Zena Alia, an Iraqi sales executive, asked, "Why is it harmful? I use them, about 4-5 a day. They are very convenient."
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