Muscat: Supermarkets in Oman will be soon be banned from using plastic bags, according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.
The decision will be made after the final approval from the specifications and standards committee at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, an official at the ministry told Gulf News.
“We have completed the regulation on the use of plastic bags to limit their impact on the environment and human health, as well as the ecological system and biodiversity. We are waiting for technical regulations from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,” he said.
The official said providing paper bags to consumers at hypermarkets is one of the proposals, without giving further details.
Ahmad Al Beloushi, an environmental expert, said, “The presence of plastic bags at beaches is a risk to the marine environment and a serious threat to turtles, dolphins and other sea creatures.”
Meanwhile, close to 90 per cent respondents of a social media survey wanted plastic bags to go. The opinion poll was recently conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs through Twitter. It sought opinion on the use of plastic bags at the shops and commercial centres, and whether they should be replaced by decomposable or reusable bags.
The three-day poll elicited 4,514 responses, 89 per cent of whom voted for stopping the use of plastic bags while 11 per cent voted against such a move.
In all, 130 respondents provided proposals and comments on the disadvantages of plastic bags and their negative impact on environment.
