Residents in Sharjah and Dubai were surprised after witnessing that some of the supermarkets had stopped the use of single-use plastic carry bags in the stores. Now most of the items in the list include, packaging materials used in food delivery, wrappers of fruits and vegetables, thick plastic bags used on a daily basis in most stores, containers made with plastic, and other packaging materials that are made out of plastic. Shoppers will have to find an alternative or carry their own bags as plastic bags will not be available and may cost some heavy amount of fine if anyone breaks the rule.

Some of the items like snack bags, plastic bottles, wet wipes, balloon sticks, and balloons which don’t contain plastic equally belong to the banned list.

Many of the shoppers have shared their sudden experiences. The shoppers said that once after they bought the products, and paid for them, at a supermarket located in Sharjah City Centre they were left with no alternative choice but to carry the products without a carry bag to their car. Ahmed Abid, a Sudanise expat currently living in Al Nahda, Sharjah, has experienced something similar, and it is very clear that the incident was so sudden and left him surprised.

Back in January 2023, the United Arab Emirates has been declared that on single-use plastic items, there would be a comprehensive ban coming into action from January 1, 2024. The prohibition will equally ban the use of plastic shopping bags.

Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made a public resolution on Sunday by making an announcement on banning single-use plastic bags and products in the emirate starting from January 1, 2024. The ban applies to single-use disposable products, and recycled items, including both non-plastic and plastic items, despite everything about the composition of materials.

The buyers at many of the supermarkets were startled as they entered the stores and found a lack of usage of single-use plastic carry bags, which is one of the most common items in daily shopping routines. Back in 2023, one plastic carry bag was charged Dh0.25 at the supermarket.

Many of the residents went to the supermarket to get some quick essentials for their daily needs, juices, and snacks said at the billing counter that the person who was working informed them that the supermarket could not help with a plastic bag as it is banned in the emirate from January 1, 2024.

Muhamed Nael, an expat from Jordan have visited Carrefour at the same time, to shop for his daily essential items. He was not aware of the ban on single-use plastic products and shopped for all of his monthly groceries, but unfortunately, he did not have any bags to carry his items back home. Due to the ban, the cheap bags are no longer on sale at the counter as well. And because of that, he had to buy a reusable bag to carry his item. The bag cost him  Dh 2.50. 

Muhamed Nael said, “But I did not have any bags to carry the purchased items. The cheaper bags at the counter were no more on sale and I had to purchase a reusable bag for Dh2.50. I will be keeping these bags in my car and whenever I go shopping, I will use them.”

Krishna Kondattam, an expat from India, who is currently working in an MNC located in Dubai, went for a shopping at a gift store and was left surprised after coming to know that the store was not providing single-use plastic carry bags anymore. He said,  “I always carry bags while shopping. This was the first time in the last 9 months that I entered a supermarket without reusable bags, “I had to walk up to my car to get the bags and then take the purchased items with it. It’s really a great initiative and people will now learn to carry their own bags.”

 

Stores Stick Up Notices

The stores located at the petrol stations around Dubai have brought the notice to the customers by putting up the information about the ban on plasticity bags. The stocks have been removed from all the counters and will not be sold further at the stores. Along with the notice, it is also informed to the customers that “An alternative bag will be provided as per directives from the authorities.” This notice was found in one of the petrol stations in Dubai.

Some petrol stations have also displayed the notice in the form of a news article regarding the restriction on single-use plastic. The attendees and workers at Zoom at Oud Metha informed that previously the store was selling more than 200 bags on an everyday basis. But now after the implementation of the ban shoppers are carrying out the items directly in their cars. The attendants also said that as of now there is no information and an order has been received from the management regarding a quick alternative. The attendant said, “We are waiting for instructions from the management about the alternatives.”

 

As per the information from various sources, there will more single-use items will be banned from January 2025 and January 2026. The banned items for the coming years include,

January 1, 2025

  • Plastic Stirrers
  • Table Covers
  • Cups
  • Styrofoam Food Containers
  • Plastic Straws
  • Plastic Cotton Swabs

January 1, 2025

  • Plastic Plates
  • Plastic Food Containers
  • Plastic Tableware & Beverage Cups
  • Plastic Lids