Khaleej Times, 21 May 2024: The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency and the Economic Development Department have announced that single-use styrofoam products will be banned from 1 June 2024.

The ban will apply to cups, lids, plates, beverage containers, and food receptacles intended for immediate consumption.

Items exempt from this ban will include reusable storage boxes, coolers, and items intended for medical use.

The initiative to ban single-use styrofoam is an extension of the Abu Dhabi Single-Use Plastic Policy and supports the aims of the Year of Sustainability.

The Abu Dhabi Single-Use Plastic Policy was launched in May 2020.

Under this policy, a ban on the sale of single-use plastic bags across all retailers took effect on 1 June 2022, resulting in a 95% reduction in their use.

Other emirates in the UAE have also enforced similar bans on single-use plastic products.

In Sharjah, the ban began on 1 January 2024, and the emirate announced on 22 April 2024 that the municipality had stopped manufacturing single-use plastic bags.

Dubai has also announced a ban on single-use plastic effective 1 January 2024, imposing fines of up to Dh2,000 for violations.

These bans followed the federal government’s announcement in January 2023 about the pan-UAE ban on single-use plastic starting in 2024.

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