UAE: People eat one credit card worth of plastic a week, say researchers

UAE: People eat one credit card worth of plastic a week, say researchers

Individuals in countries with high plastic bottle usage can consume up to a quarter kilo of the material in a year

By Waheed Abbas Published: Sun 20 Mar 2022, 3:37 PM Last updated: Sun 20 Mar 2022, 10:32 PM

People in the UAE and those countries where plastic water bottle usage is high on average consume one credit card worth of plastic, five grams, per week, putting their lives at risk against diseases such as cancer and brain damage.

While speaking during a panel discussion on Sunday on the eve of the Expo 2020 Water Week, panellists said technology could ensure a clean water supply for humans by purifying water up to 99.99 per cent, which is safe and healthy to consume.

Quoting a study conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Kamran Birjees Khan, CEO of NIA, said people consume about 2,000 tiny pieces of plastic every week, approximately 21 grams per month and over 250 grams a year.

“Clean water is critical for our well-being, and the declining water quality has become a global issue of concern. Recent studies have shown that the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink is contaminated with microplastic. We need efficient and effective