UAE to ban single-use plastic shopping bags starting in 2024

DUBAI: The UAE has announced a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags to take effect next year, the latest initiative aimed at reducing pollution in the oil-rich nation, according to AP.

The law would prohibit the import, production and circulation of such bags from Jan. 1, 2024, according to an announcement carried by the state-run WAM news agency. A similar ban would apply to plastic cups, plates and cutlery from Jan. 1, 2026.

The UAE, a major oil producer and the host of this year’s UN climate summit, has declared it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.