Can you please tell us something about the CPA? When was it founded and what were the reasons behind setting up the CPA? 

The Circular Packaging Association (CPA) Business Group was established in 2018, originally under the name CIRCLE Coalition (Coalition for Innovation in Recycling towards a Closed-Loop Economy).

The Coalition was formed to advance the circular economy for packaging in the UAE, with a particular focus on assessing the feasibility of an industry-funded and industry-managed Packaging Recovery Organization to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

In 2019, the Coalition signed a Letter of Undertaking with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to conduct a proof-of-concept study examining the barriers and enablers of packaging circularity. The study was undertaken in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Emirates Nature – WWF and executed by Frost & Sullivan. It ran from March to November 2019 in Abu Dhabi and was funded by the Coalition’s founding members.

 

What were the findings of the study?

The study piloted the collection and recovery of plastic packaging waste from clean segregated sources including Abu Dhabi Airports, IKEA, Hilton Hotels and Al Dhafrah landfill.

Collected materials were sorted and baled by Veolia and Dulsco, processed into flakes and pellets, and then converted into new products such as plastic pallets, water bottle racks and plastic sheeting. These finished goods were subsequently purchased by industry members, demonstrating technical feasibility and market demand for recycled materials.

The study identified 35 key enablers required to support a circular packaging ecosystem, benchmarked against international best practice in countries such as South Africa, South Korea, Belgium and Germany. These enablers — including Extended Producer Responsibility — were later adopted as policy recommendations by the UAE Circular Economy Council in 2022.

 

Who are the founder members of the CPA? 

The founding members included Nestlé, Unilever, P&G, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Majid Al Futtaim Group, Dow, Borouge, McDonalds, Tetra Pak, with Knowledge Partners Emirates Nature – WWF and the Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association. 

 

What is the current profile of packaging sustainability in the UAE and what sustainability infrastructure already exists (for example materials reclamation facilities)? 

The sustainable packaging market is projected to grow significantly, with a CAGR of 12.5% from 2024 to 2030, driven by innovations such as bio based plastics, together with government policy instruments such as single use bans, and EPR for packaging. In 2025, the UAE saw the establishment of Emirates Biotech, the world’s largest bio plastics plant. In parallel, there are initiatives to define standards for advanced recycling technologies with the GSO.

Much still needs to be done with several advanced Material Recovery Facilities in place or under development, the decision to close landfills and the establishment of waste to energy plants. There is still a significant opportunity for the recycling capacities and technologies to generate the needed In-Country-Value for recycled content especially for food contact materials. 

 

What role does the government play in setting sustainability goals for industry and consumers in the UAE? 

The UAE has several policy instruments in place to achieve the Net Zero ambition by 2050. A key driver is the UAE Green Vision 2030 which covers several aspects such as Energy and Water Efficiency, Waste to Resource, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Transport, Green Workforce and related programs. This has led to several consumer facing initiatives including providing a water and energy efficiency scale for households. 

In addition, in 2021, the UAE published its Circular Economy Policy 2021 to 2031 covering strategies such sustainable transport, sustainable food production and consumption, sustainable manufacturing, and green infrastructure. At the same time the Circular Economy Council was established, chaired by the Minister of Economy and Tourism, together with representatives from the Ministries of Climate Change, Industry, and Energy and Infrastructure. The Council also comprises industry representation, and together with experts from NGO’s, and academia hosts the Circular Economy Policy Committee, whose role is to develop policy recommendations along the 4 CE strategies. These programs drive both industry and consumer facing initiatives towards Net Zero. 

Finally, the National Agenda for Integrated Waste Management aims to achieve 80% of treatment of MSW by 2031. This aligns with the target of 75% of diversion from landfill and closure of landfills in the coming years.

 

Are there currently any concrete packaging sustainability proposals under consideration by the UAE government? 

Yes. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has been developing a regulatory framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) covering packaging, e-waste and batteries.

A pilot phase conducted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai tested residential collection systems and retail take-back models. The regulatory framework is currently being finalized.

EPR is expected to become a cornerstone policy instrument, enabling structured collection, recovery and reintegration of secondary materials into domestic manufacturing supply chains.

 

Many global brands which operate in the UAE already have sustainability mandates. Do you see these being applied in the UAE, and if so, how is this impacting the wider packaging supply chain?

Global brands have made significant commitments to sustainability in packaging through redesign, reducing the use of virgin materials, recyclability of packaging, re-use models, eliminating harmful materials and collecting and recovering 2nd materials. These brands bring significant R&D and technical expertise to the region which is transformative through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and commitments towards offtake agreements and collection and recovery initiatives. In addition, the CPA can tap into experience from around the world related to the successful implementation of different EPR models which can help to guide regulatory and policy decisions by the government. 

 

What do you see as the role of consumers in building awareness of sustainable packaging initiatives in the UAE? 

Studies conducted by Veolia – Elabe in 2023, show that 65% of households in the UAE are concerned about the environment and believe climate action is important, they are looking for both rewards and convenience to participate in source segregation. However, there are many systemic barriers to instilling segregation at source including the diversity of nationalities among residents, and the lack of collection and recovery mechanisms. In many instances, where a 2 bin system is in place, they may see both bins collected by the same truck. Another barrier is the very low tipping fees meaning that there is little disincentive to sorting and collecting 2nd materials. Without systematic collection and recovery mechanisms, awareness initiatives have low impact. In the case of school awareness programs, these are more successful in stimulating behaviour towards recycling. 

 

Do NGOs have an important role in helping develop packaging sustainability programs in the UAE? 

There are many NGO’s focussed on sustainability programs in the UAE, many focussed on topics like mangrove planting and food waste mitigation. Industry led business groups under the various Chambers of Commerce with a specific focus on packaging sustainability have been successful in mobilizing collection and recovery initiatives for packaging. Much work is needed to build capacity and spread the knowledge on the importance of sustainability in the design of packaging. This can often be the focus of industry shows and conferences. 

 

The UAE has set ambitious goals towards ‘climate neutrality’ by 2050? How important will sustainable packaging be in achieving these goals?

Sustainable packaging will be an important enabler of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 objective. Recent policy measures include:

• Phased bans on single-use plastic products

• Exemptions for recycled-content alternatives

• Expansion of waste-to-energy facilities

• Progressive landfill closure targets

 

While packaging contributes an estimated 5–6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, improvements in reuse systems, recycled content integration and recovery infrastructure can significantly reduce lifecycle emissions.

Effective implementation of EPR will further support landfill diversion, domestic recycling markets and circular material flows — all contributing to the UAE’s broader decarbonization pathway.