Oman to Ban Plastic Bags in Supermarkets

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environmental and Climate Affairs, plastic bags will soon be banned in all supermarkets in the country.

Final approval is however still needed from the specifications and standards committee at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry before this can be implemented. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs conducted a poll on Twitter and consumers appear to support the decision. The majority of 4,514 respondents voted to ban plastic bags during the three-day poll. 89% of respondents voted to in favour of stopping the use of plastic bags while only 11% voted against it in the that was held by.

The poll sought the opinion on the use of plastic bags at shops and commercial centres, and whether they should be replaced by decomposable or reusable bags.

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An official told the Gulf News: “We have completed the regulation on the use of plastic bags to limit their impact on the environment and human health, as well as the ecological system and biodiversity. We are waiting for technical regulations from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.” He also suggested providing paper bags to supermarkets but did not provide any further details.

Ahmad Al Beloushi, an environmental expert said, “The presence of plastic bags at beaches is a risk to the marine environment and a serious threat to turtles, dolphins and other sea creatures.”