MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Although a nationwide blanket ban on single-use plastic bags in the UAE came into effect on January 1, 2024, shoppers in Abu Dhabi have long embraced this move towards sustainability.
Ministerial Resolution No. 380 of 2022 issued in January 2023 imposed a ban on the import, production or circulation of single‑use plastic shopping bags, regardless of the material used, as of January 1, 2024. In the emirate of Abu Dhabi, a single-use plastic bag ban has been in effect since June 2022.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced in June 2023 that the first year of the ban recorded a 95% drop in the use of single-use plastic bags, meaning that an average of 450,000 single-use plastic bags have been saved each day since the ban was enacted.
As per Ministerial Resolution No. 380 of 2022, the import, production or circulation of most other single‑use plastic products will also be prohibited starting from January 1, 2026, including beverage cups and lids, tableware, straws, and containers, among others.
Aletihad spoke to shoppers in the UAE on Sunday, who displayed a positive attitude towards the ban, with many reporting that they have made it a habit to bring their own reusable bags with them wherever they go. “I don’t see why anyone would not support this decision; I am all in. I make sure to bring my own cloth bag when I go shopping, although I have been guilty of forgetting it a few times,” Andrew, a Serbian expatriate who has been living in the UAE for the past four years, told Aletihad.
The 39-year-old views that replacing “polluting” single-use plastic bags with reusable ones is the least one can do to protect the environment; “we owe this to future generations”. He expressed hope that this step will contribute to raising the awareness of both businesses and individuals of “our duty” towards the planet.
“These small changes matter,” he stressed. Um Ahmad, an Egyptian expatriate living in Abu Dhabi, explained in conversation with Aletihad the impact of this government decision on her children.
“I think all children are generally curious and very observant; when mine noticed that we started to bring our own cloth bags when we go shopping, they started asking questions; why this and why that? Mind you my youngest Reem is a chatterbox, so our trips to the mall turned into educational sessions about why it’s important to protect the environment,” she said.
According to Um Ahmad, six-year-old Reem now speaks up when she notices that a friend or family member is using plastic bags; “’tsk tsk… it’s bad for the environment,’ she says, shaking her little index finger. It’s adorable.” Sahar, a 25-year-old Emirati, told Aletihad that awareness-raising efforts are significant to ensure the ban achieves its goals. “I think the ban is great. But we need more to ensure that this law achieves the desired impact; businesses should make an effort to explain to their customers why they should go for a sustainable alternative. People are more likely to support this if they understand the reasoning behind it,” she said.
Rashid, an Emirati citizen, also voiced his support for the ban; “This is the least we can do, no excuses for not standing behind this step”.
He expressed hope that plastic bags will “completely disappear” from UAE markets, noting that the principle behind the law banning them is applicable to everything people use. “If there is less of a polluting alternative to anything, why not go for it?,” he said.
Some retailers observed that more and more shoppers have been bringing their bags to the store since the ban was imposed in Abu Dhabi roughly two years ago. “I care about the environment, so it’s been interesting seeing the gradual impact of this one decision on people’s shopping habits,” Kumar, a Nepalese expatriate who works as a cashier, told Aletihad, noting that his workplace is making an effort to offer shoppers sustainable alternatives that are also price conscious.