QF Experts Praise the Country's Ban on Single-Use Plastics

The Qatar Foundation (QF) exemplifies, supports, facilitates, and encourages sustainability in all of its manifestations. QF is a leader in Qatari sustainable development through its own businesses, programs, and ethos, as well as its function as a unifier for the sustainability-focused efforts of organizations and individuals across the country.

Each of QF's core mission areas: educational ecosystem, community development, and research and development (RDI) emphasize the importance and long-term value of sustainability.

Vice President for Research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Dr. Richard O'Kennedy

Non-biodegradable plastic is being phased out, and many countries (including Ireland) have banned the use of plastic bags for shopping, with consumers responsible for bringing their own reusable bags. Everyone has a responsibility to play in reducing the usage of non-biodegradable plastics. These plastics have long-term harmful environmental consequences. They are important global land and ocean contaminants that penetrate the food chain and have the potential to cause serious health issues in the future.

Strategic Initiatives Advisor, Qatar Foundation COO Office, Ouassim Alami

Single-use plastic bags have become harmful as a result of human misuse: taking more bags than necessary when shopping, not reusing them whenever possible, and discarding them in nature has resulted in physical and visual pollution that we see on a daily basis in the sea, deserts, and cities. By outlawing them, businesses and customers will be more likely to accommodate to their requirements, use reusable bags, and always choose greener options.

Ruba Hinnawi, Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future's Technical Lead

For each of us, it has become common knowledge that the earth is not built to digest plastic. If not properly disposed of, plastic makes its way into natural environments, where it can either remain intact for decades or break down into small fragments, known as microplastics, which damage land and water bodies and enter the food chain. Plastic bags are a huge part of the excessive use of plastics problem, especially since we know how difficult and expensive it is to recycle them! Not to mention the fact that they're constructed of polyethylene, which comes from natural gas and oil (non-renewable resource).

Dr. Tareq Al Ansari, Associate Professor and Head of Engineering Management and Decision Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University's College of Science and Engineering

The government's decision to ban plastic bags is a positive step toward better environmental protection. The reduction of environmentally hazardous emissions connected with its manufacture, which contribute to air pollution and global warming, can result in environmental advantages.

Furthermore, land and water pollution will be decreased, as it has been stated that 87 percent of plastic trash ends up in these ecosystems, where it degrades over hundreds of years while being used for only 12 minutes on average.

Senior Scientist, QEERI, Dr. Khaled A Mahmoud

Qatar produces more than 2.5 million tons of municipal solid trash per year. This places Qatar among the countries with the largest garbage generation per capita (1.8kg per day). Around 40% of the solid waste stream is recyclable, including glass, paper, metals, and plastics. Most of this trash is disposed of in landfills.