UAE to ban single-use plastic shopping bags starting in 2024

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates announced a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags to take effect next year, the latest initiative aimed at reducing pollution in the oil-rich nation. The law would prohibit the import, production and circulation of such bags from Jan. 1, 2024, according to an announcement Tuesday carried by the state-run WAM news agency. A similar ban would apply to plastic cups, plates and cutlery from Jan. 1, 2026. The UAE, a major oil producer and the host of this year’s United Nations climate summit, has declared it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 — a target that remains difficult to assess.