UAE to outlaw single-use plastic shopping bags from 2024

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will impose a nationwide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags from 1 of January 2024, in a move to protect the environment, the government-run WAM news agency stated on Tuesday.

This will serve as the prelude to banning products made of single-use materials as starting from 2026, including plastic or foam products such as cups, plates, cutlery, containers, boxes, spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks, straws and stirrers.

The authorities concerned are urged to develop mechanisms to reduce the production of single-use materials to package items including ear buds, cigarettes, wet wipes and balloons, among others.

Yaqoob Musba, a resident of Hamdan Street in Abu Dhabi, said it had become a habit to carry reusable bags whenever he steps out of his house, adding “we do not have a set time to go shopping, so we stock our reusable bags in the vehicle.”

One of the most troublesome rubbish items is plastic bags, which kill birds and marine life and pollute streets and rivers. Microscopic plastic particles have been discovered within the bodies of fish, birds, and other species.

Last year, as the plastic charge was rolled out, Dubai officials said nine in 10 turtles and five in ten camels found dead had plastic in their stomachs.

UAE, which will host the United Nations climate summit Cop28 in November, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.