Carrefour has announced the replacement of single-use plastic bags at checkout counters with starch alternatives, across Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE, will offer an environmental alternative to plastic bags in response to the new government policy banning the use of single-use plastic. The retailer will provide plant-based bags made of starch to eliminate plastic from its checkout counters altogether
The new starch bags are currently available for AED0.25 at Carrefour stores across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain; and will be available in Dubai from July 1. Taking less than six months to fully decompose, the benefits of these sustainable alternatives far outweigh plastic bags, which cost more as per government guidelines yet take several hundred years to break down.
Customers at Carrefour can also find reusable bags made using paper, woven, juco, and canvas materials, which are equivalent to five regular bags and can carry many more items. The brand hopes to incentivise responsible shopping habits through its loyalty program by offering bonus SHARE points for purchases of new reusable bags. Any plastic woven bag bought at Carrefour comes with a lifetime guarantee to mitigate excessive plastic consumption and protect the environment.
To provide more choices and raise awareness about responsible shopping, Carrefour has partnered with the leading conservation organisation – Emirates Nature-WWF – to design three limited-edition reusable bags priced at only AED11.50. Every bag features an illustration of a threatened marine species in the UAE, highlighting indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins, Arabian humpback whales and green turtles that can all be found in local waters. Scanning the attached QR code takes customers to an online learning resource that provides facts about each animal to increase awareness about the effects of single-use plastic on UAE wildlife.