Phasing Out Plastic: Oman’s Approach to Reducing Single-Use Bag Pollution

Oman, like many countries, faced a growing environmental challenge from the widespread use of single-use plastic bags. These bags contributed significantly to pollution, particularly along the country’s extensive coastline, threatening marine life and entering the food chain. The persistence of plastic in the environment, combined with rising consumerism and limited recycling capacity, exacerbated the problem. Oman’s reliance on single-use plastics conflicted with its commitments under international environmental conventions and its national Vision 2040 sustainability goals.

To address this issue, Oman implemented a phased ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, formalized through Ministerial Decision No. 8/2024 and grounded in the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Law (Royal Decree 114/2001). The ban was rolled out in stages, beginning with the health sector in July 2024, expanding to retail and textile sectors in January 2025, and reaching food retailers and bakeries by July 2025. The regulation prohibits the use of plastic shopping bags less than 50 micrometres thick and mandates eco-friendly alternatives such as reusable cloth or paper bags. Enforcement is carried out by the Environment Authority through inspections and fines, while public awareness campaigns support compliance. The policy also includes a ban on the import of plastic bags to prevent circumvention.

Oman’s plastic bag ban is still in its early stages, so assessing its full environmental impact is premature. However, looking at similar bans in other countries, such as Thailand’s campaign in Bangkok, provides valuable insights into potential outcomes and challenges.

Before the ban, Thailand used around 45 billion single-use plastic bags annually. After the initial phase of the ban, usage was estimated to drop by at least 29% (about 13 billion bags) due to their removal from department stores, convenience stores, and some grocery stores.

A research carried out 3 years after the initial ban shows the evidence of the number of plastic bags use in convenient stores and supermarket dropped significantly. Moreover, knowledge about environmental impact of plastics does not only have a positive effect on attitudes towards plastic bag usage and plastic waste but it also has a direct effect on behaviors in using plastic bags and sorting waste. It has concluded communication remains an important factor for relevant government sectors to promote existing governmental campaigns together with the information of environmental impact of plastics in order to achieve cooperative behaviors in reducing plastic bag usage in Bangkok successfully at the end".