Mashable: The United Arab Emirates city of Dubai is set to ban all single-use bags from tomorrow, Saturday, June 1, 2024.

As part of the campaign to minimise waste and foster a culture of recycling in Dubai, bags of all materials will be prohibited starting tomorrow.

To protect the environment and attain a more sustainable and greener future, just like many other places around the world, Dubai is pushing forward with a total ban on all single-use bags, regardless of the material, from this Saturday, June 1.

We teamed up with Dubai Aquarium to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the marine environment. Be part of the change. Switch to reusable cloth bags today. #DubaiMunicipality #DubaiMoreSustainable#DubaiAwareness pic.twitter.com/FirFf0eIhc — بلدية دبي | Dubai Municipality (@DMunicipality) May 29, 2024

On May 29, 2024, Dubai Municipality teamed up with the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo to raise awareness against the use of plastic bags. “Single-use plastic kills more than 100,000 marine animals in a year,” read a banner held by a diver as part of an awareness campaign, which also urged residents to switch to reusable cloth bags.

Ban on bags:

Retail outlets are no longer allowed to charge 25 fils for single-use bags at checkout. They are also not obliged to offer alternatives. All single-use bags that are 57 micrometres (0.057mm) thick or less are banned.

Included in the ban are plastic, paper, biodegradable bags, and bags made from biodegradable plant materials.

As of June 1, 2024, #Dubai takes a stand against single-use bags. Make the switch to reusable cloth bags & be part of the change.#DubaiMoreSustainable #DubaiMunicipality pic.twitter.com/deZkFgBHfT — بلدية دبي | Dubai Municipality (@DMunicipality) May 25, 2024

What’s not banned:

Customers are allowed to use bags that are 58 micrometres thick and above. These include bread bags, rubbish bags, rubbish bin liners, and wrapping bags for vegetables, meats, fish and chicken. Bags used for laundry, electronic devices, and grains are also exempt from the rule.

Fines:

Those caught breaking the rule will be fined Dh200. This penalty will be doubled if caught repeating the offences within a year, with a cap of Dh2,000.

Meanwhile, the new ban comes six months after the Emirates phased out single-use plastic bags across retail outlets.

Let’s take a look at Dubai’s three-phase ban on single-use plastic.