Abu Dhabi plans to ban single-use plastic bags from June after neighboring emirate of Dubai decided to phase them out in two years.
The capital of the United Arab Emirates also plans to stop single-use styrofoam cups, plates and food containers by 2024, according to a statement.
The move comes "in light of their harmful impacts on the environment and biodiversity,” said Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency.
Nearly 300 million tons of plastic waste, an amount equivalent to the weight of the human population, is produced every year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. The United Arab Emirates, which will host the UN Climate Change Conference next year, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Abu Dhabi’s environmental agency said it also plans to implement measures to reduce demand for about 16 single-use plastic products that include cups, stirrers, lids and cutlery. It also aims to introduce an incentive-based, single-use plastic water bottle return program in Abu Dhabi.
