Manama — Bahrain will start phasing out the use of plastic bags from next month, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported. A ministerial order, which will come into effect on July 21, 2019, will regulate and phase out the use of plastic bags. The first phase will focus on single-use plastic bags as well as banning the import of non-biodegradable plastic bags. Later phases will witness a permanent ban on the use of plastic bags at certain malls and supermarkets. The Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism are currently working on setting the implementation phase for the remaining plastic products. CE of the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) Dr. Mohammed Mubarak Bin Daina said that Bahrain has benefited from Saudi Arabia's expertise in this field. The SCE has also conducted a market study on the consumption of biodegradable and compostable plastic products in Bahrain in order to measure the impact of finding viable alternative solutions to plastic. The study focused on the consumptions of plastic use in the foodservice industry.
