Bahrain has announced a ban, effective from September 19, on selling, manufacturing, circulating and importing single-use plastic bags, which are less than 35 microns in thickness.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani said that the decision aims to support environmental protection initiatives and limit the spread of plastic waste, according to Bahrain News Agency.
He highlighted that the ban is in line with the government’s plans of securing an environment that supports sustainability and reduces pollution.
The ban will exclude single-use plastic bags that are more than 35 microns in thickness, single-use plastic bags that are used for medical purposes and bags that are used for exports, he said.
Al Zayani said that the ministry held stakeholder engagement sessions especially with the private sector through the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He added that surveys showed that all local factories intend to manufacture multi-use plastic bags that are more than 35 microns in thickness. The survey also showed that 86 percent of these local factories would continue to manufacture plastic products that are exempt from the new regulation or alternatives to the banned single-use bags.
The minister noted that several neighboring and developed countries have applied similar regulations to limit the spread of plastic waste, which poses a great danger to the environment and wildlife. The minister called for people’s cooperation in enforcing the efforts to preserve environment.
