Go Green in the Desert: How Abu Dhabi is Embracing Sustainability With Special Straws
By Christina Chen (03/30/25) — Abu Dhabi, UAE
When talking about the United Arab Emirates, what pops into your mind first? Like many people who have never lived here before, I expected the nation to be surrounded by endless oil and gas resources, shiny beaches with palm trees, and a luxurious lifestyle. But I was proven wrong the first day in the city.
After landing in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE, I had my first brunch at a cafeteria beside the NYUAD campus. I had full expectations of a luxurious environment and service, and it was surprising that I received straws with cracks in them for my cafe latte. They looked like most kinds of plastic straws, so I saw no reason for them to be broken.
Seeing my dissatisfaction, a waiter walked by and picked up a discarded straw. “All the straws are made of biodegradable materials with no plastic ingredients,” he told me. He then crushed the straw into pieces. “You can see that they are lighter than paper or plastic straws. Some of them are also transparent, allowing you to see the fibers and matte texture.”
This unexpected conversation sparked my interest in compostable materials, and it was my first time seeing biodegradable utensils that look plastic-made. Based on my experiences using these straws for the past months, I genuinely feel they are much better than paper straws or plastic ones. They are not as fragile as paper straws, which are easily destroyed by water when people are drinking, and can still be broken down into smaller pieces.
In fact, not only the school cafeteria but also most of the small restaurants in Abu Dhabi are promoting biodegradable utensils made from plants and special materials, distinguishing them from common paper straws used in other nations. What’s more, these straws are unique in that they are “truly biodegradable” based on herbs. Based on recent research, lots of people do not distinguish between oxo-biodegradable plastics and plastics marketed as “compostable.” Oxo-biodegradable plastics are not intended for composting, and are usually made out of oil-resources. They are the main sources of current plastic straws which market themselves as “decomposable,” though they aren’t truly biodegradable. I think that’s the reason why the staff in the cafeteria was so proud to introduce me to the special straws.
Walking around campus, I found that students are encouraged to use “campus cash” offered every week to purchase reusable meal boxes or coffee cups, and they get discounts while using them. That means no extra payment is needed to participate in the 'GO GREEN' policy promoted by the UAE government.
In terms of the user experiences, I talked to my classmate, Laura, who is a local student in Abu Dhabi. Laura told me that she still uses the reusable meal box she bought from the school dining hall in her freshman year. Even though there is a one-time cost, she can take the box anywhere. “If you want to take food to-go, there is a 4 Dirham fee for each paper box. These boxes are soft and easily deformed. For that reason I personally recommend you to get a reusable one, which can last for at least a whole semester.”
Established in the middle of the desert, Abu Dhabi – as well as the whole United Arab of Emirates – are engaging greatly in saving natural resources and preventing pollution. Preserving the fragile land is just like using the plant-made plastic straws, and the earth could be easily destroyed with unlimited exploitation. Despite having some of the world's richest non-renewable oil resources, the local government continues to take a leading role in the Paris Agreement and other international sustainability efforts.
References
Ojeda, Telmo F., and Radu Baciu. "“High incidence of false biodegradability claims related to single-use plastic utensils sold in Brazil” by Beatriz Barbosa Moreno et al., Sustainable Production and Consumption Vol. 41 (2023) 1-8." Sustainable Production and Consumption 50 (2024): 610-613.
Khater, Maya Hasan, Dina Imad, Nagwa Abouhaiba, and Hamoud Tannar. "Legal Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development in the United Arab Emirates: A Comparative Study with International Frameworks." Available at SSRN 5119294.
