Manufacturers and suppliers of plastic products must now register 15 biodegradable plastic products under a new ruling from the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW).
HE Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water, has ordered manufacturers and suppliers of plastic products to register biodegradable plastic products under the Emirates Conformity Assessment System (ECAS) and UAE 2009:5009 specifications by 1 December 2013.
The ruling covers all bags, including shopping bags, garbage bags, garment bags and any bags used for one time only.
Mailing bags must be registered, along with secretariats bags and mail-order bags for magazines and newspapers. The new regulation also covers eating utensils used for one time only as well as plastic bubble casings, foam wrap and cushioning packaging.
Other items affected by the decision include flower wrap, overwrap, rolls, stretch film, cling film, shrink film and plastic liners.
Personal care products such as gloves and boots coverings must be registered, as must toiletries used for one time only, along with plastic bags for covering seedlings, polyethylene tablecloths, and bags used for packaging bread, nuts, sweets and all bakery products.