A man uses a plastic bag at a supermarket. File

The Municipality and Planning Department in Ajman has announced prohibition of single use plastic bags in all shopping centres and sale outlets in the Emirate. This decision will be effective from January of the current year 2024, the Department added.

The step comes in accordance with the Ministerial Decision No. (380) of 2022 regarding the regulation of single-use products in the markets in the country, and in compliance with the Federal Law No. (2) of 2018 concerning integrated waste management, and as part of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s initiative aimed at making the UAE free from plastic bags.

Eng. Khalid Mueen Al Hosani, Executive Director of the Public Health and Environment Sector at the Department, said that the country is witnessing increasing production of many eco-friendly alternatives, which can be used when shopping.

He also stressed the country’s commitment towards ensuring the gradual reduction of the production and use of plastic bags and plastic products, to regulate the use of plastic products and single-use bags, and to curb plastic waste harmful to the environment, which by turn would enhance sustainability.

The concerned departments have been given a period of 3 months to actually start enforcing the decision and using eco-friendly bags, he said, noting that a tariff of 25 fils will be charged on each single-use plastic bag for consumers when shopping.