As part of Environment Agency –Abu Dhabi’s (EAD) Single-Use Plastic Policy which was launched in 2020, a ban on a series of Styrofoam products in the emirate will become effective from 1 June 2024.
Styrofoam is a type of plastic called expanded polystyrene and it has a range of uses. As part of the ban, Abu Dhabi, is targeting avoidable, single-use consumer products.
Specifically, the banned products comprise cups, lids, plates and beverage containers (including their caps and lids) made of expanded polystyrene. In addition, food container receptacles for products that are intended for immediate consumption, either on the spot or for takeaway, or containers that have a product that is typically consumed from the receptacle and is ready to be consumed without any further preparation such as cooking, boiling or heating, will also be prohibited.
The products that will be exempt from the ban include those not designed for single consumer use such as big storage boxes and coolers and trays used for meat, fruit, ready-made dairy products and other food items for retail sale. Also, all other products designed for medical uses are also exempted.
The success story for the Abu Dhabi Single-Use Plastic Policy is that the consumption of 310 million single-use plastic bags has been avoided up to April 2024, and the number of bags distributed at retailers’ cash counters has reduced up to 95 per cent. In weight, this is more than 2,000 tonnes of single use plastic bags have been avoided. Similarly, more than 1,000 tonnes of bottles, equivalent to 67 million bottles, have been collected last year.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has shared the circular on Styrofoam ban with more than 50,000 commercial establishments and 80 industrial facilities involved in plastic manufacturing. It also launched an awareness programme, in coordination with EAD targeting commercial and industrial establishments. The programme aimed to introduce the ban policy and present the targeted Styrofoam products. A list of excluded products was also shared during the programme’s workshops as well as the mechanism of reconciling the conditions of economic establishments and switching to locally manufactured alternatives. ADDED is set to conduct field inspection campaigns on sales outlets and industrial establishments to ensure the implementation of the ban across Abu Dhabi according to the specified timetable, starting from 1 June 2024.