Dubai has announced a ban on single-use plastic bags. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, issued the resolution on December 31, 2023. The ban applies to single-use and recycled products, including plastic and non-plastic items, regardless of their material composition.
The single-use plastic and non-plastic products include food delivery packaging, fruit and vegetable packaging, thick plastic bags, plastic containers, and packaging materials made partly or entirely of plastic. Plastic bottles, snack bags, wet wipes, balloons, and balloon sticks are also included in the ban.
The ban extends to sellers and consumers within Dubai and includes private development zones and free zones, including the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).
Excluded from the ban are rolls of thin bags used to package meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, bread, garbage bags, and products intended for export or re-export. These items include single-use plastic shopping bags, single-use shopping bags, and single-use plastic products.
The ban on single-use plastic products starts on January 1, 2025. Dubai will prohibit products such as plastic stirrers, tablecloths, cups, styrofoam food containers, plastic straws, and plastic cotton swabs.
The ban on other single-use plastic products starts on January 1, 2026. The ban will extend to plastic plates, plastic food containers, plastic cutlery, and plastic beverage cups and lids.
Source: economymiddleeast.com