Arab News, Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022 | Ramadan 25, 1443
Bahrain to ban single-use plastic bags from September
Bahrain:
Bahrain announced Sunday it would start banning the import, distribution and
sale of single-use lightweight plastic bags from mid-September, the latest move
by an oil producer to advance carbon reduction goals.
The statement from Bahrain’s state-run news agency
did not specify how the upcoming ban would be enforced, whether by fining
distributors of the ubiquitous thin bags or charging people for their use.
The ban, to come into effect September 19, “is in
line with the government’s plans of securing an environment that supports
sustainability and reduces pollution,” said Bahrain’s minister of industry,
Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani.
The rule exempts bags that are above a certain
degree of thickness and those used for medical purposes and exports.
Bahrain’s move follows those of nearby emirates
Dubai and Abu Dhabi of the UAE, which recently declared they would get rid of
plastic bags in hopes of curbing litter and minimizing greenhouse emissions
caused by plastic bag production.
Bahrain followed the UAE and Saudi Arabia last
year in declaring it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 — a target that
remains difficult to assess and, crucially, does not involve curtailing oil
exports. The Kingdom’s economy runs on petrodollars.