The UAE will impose a nationwide ban on single-use plastic from next year, the government has said.
From January 1, 2024, plastic bags of any material or composition will be prohibited.
From January 1, 2026, it will be prohibited to import plastic cutlery, drinks cups, styrofoam and boxes.
The ban will include everything from “food packaging, plastic bottles, cotton sticks, crackers bags and cigarette butts … wet wipes, balloons and balloon sticks” that contain plastic.
The move will protect the environment and be of benefit to consumers, state news agency Wam said.
The government said authorities, retailers, suppliers and consumers should prepare with “suitable, sustainable and multi-use alternatives in all shopping stores, retail stores and sales outlets on a permanent basis”, the agency reported.
The federal ruling goes further than new rules last summer in Dubai, which imposed a nominal 25 fils charge on plastic bags, and in Abu Dhabi, which banned most plastic bags.
In Abu Dhabi, the June 1 ban has already led to 87 million fewer single-use plastic bags being used, a cut of about 90 per cent. Sharjah had already planned a ban on bags from January 1, 2024.
The ruling contains exceptions that include plastic bags made from recycled materials. It also includes plastics required in goods that are exported abroad.
Plastic bags are one of the most problematic kinds of waste, polluting streets and waterways and harming birds and marine life. It takes decades to degrade and microscopic particles have been found inside the bodies of fish, birds and other animals.
Last year, as the plastic charge was rolled out, Dubai officals said nine in 10 turtles and five in ten camels found dead had plastic in their stomachs.
The UAE, which will host the United Nations climate summit Cop28 in November, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Best long-life alternatives: in pictures
HAJJAN
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
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