Executive Council Resolution No. (124) of 2023
Regulating the
Use of Single-use Products in the Emirate of Dubai[1]
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We, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown
Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council,
After perusal of:
Federal Law No. (12) of 2018
Concerning Integrated Waste Management and its Implementing Bylaw;
Federal Law No. (15) of 2020
Concerning Consumer Protection and its Implementing Bylaw;
Ministerial Resolution No. (380) of
2023 Regulating the Use of Single-use Products in the UAE Markets;
Law No. (13) of 2011 Regulating the
Conduct of Economic Activities in the Emirate of Dubai and its amendments;
Law No. (1) of 2016 Concerning the
Financial Regulations of the Government of Dubai, its Implementing Bylaw, and
their amendments;
Law No. (5) of 2021 Concerning the
Dubai International Financial Centre;
Law No. (20) of 2021 Establishing
the Department of Economy and Tourism in the Emirate of Dubai;
Law No. (26) of 2023 Establishing
the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai;
Decree No. (22) of 2009 Concerning
Special Development Zones in the Emirate of Dubai;
The Order of 1961 Establishing the
Dubai Municipality;
The Order Concerning Compliance with
Public Health and Safety and Environment Protection in the Emirate of Dubai,
issued on 21 January 2004;
Local Order No. (61) of 1991
Concerning Environment Protection Systems in the Emirate of Dubai;
Local Order No. (11) of 2003
Concerning Public Health and Community Safety in the Emirate of Dubai and its
amendments;
Executive Council Resolution No.
(52) of 2022 Concerning Reduction of the Use of Single-use Bags; and
The legislation establishing and
regulating free zones in the Emirate of Dubai,
Do hereby issue this Resolution.
The following words and expressions, wherever mentioned in this
Resolution, will have the meaning indicated opposite each of them unless the
context implies otherwise:
|
UAE: |
The United
Arab Emirates. |
|
Emirate: |
The Emirate
of Dubai. |
|
Competent
Entity: |
A Government
entity in charge of licensing Economic Activities in the Emirate. This
includes the Department of Economy and Tourism and the authorities
supervising Special Development Zones and free zones, such as the Dubai
International Financial Centre. |
|
Director
General: |
The director
general of a Competent Entity or any other officer holding a similar
position. |
|
Consumer: |
A natural or
legal person who obtains a Commodity from a Vendor to meet his needs or the
needs of others. |
|
Vendor: |
A natural or
legal person who is licensed by a Competent Entity and who sells Commodities
to Consumers. This includes, without limitation, traditional and online
retail stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and establishments engaged in the
delivery of Commodities. |
|
Commodity: |
A natural
material or an industrial, agricultural, or animal product traded by a
Vendor. |
|
Single-use
Product: |
Products
designed for one-time use and subsequent disposal or recycling, regardless of
the material from which they are manufactured. These include Single-use
Plastic Products, Single-use Non-plastic Products, such as food delivery
packaging, fruit and vegetable packaging, and thick plastic bags to plastic
packaging, packaging materials made partially or wholly from Plastic
Material, including those used in food packaging, plastic bottles, snack
wrappers, cigarette butts, wet wipes, balloons, and balloon sticks. |
|
Plastic
Material: |
Various
polymer compounds resulting from polymerisation reactions, which can be
shaped using extrusion devices or moulded into different forms or varying
thickness films. They can also be drawn into threads used as fibres. These
polymer compounds include, but are not limited to, High-Density Polyethylene
(HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene
Terephthalate (PET), Polystyrene (PS), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). |
|
Single-use
Bag: |
A
biodegradable or other plastic bag, a paper bag, or a bag made of plant fibre
whose thickness is less than fifty-seven (57) micrometres and which is used
to carry and transport Commodities. |
|
Single-use
Plastic Products: |
These are
products manufactured partially or entirely from Plastic Materials and are
designed for one-time use and subsequent disposal or recycling. They include
Single-use Plastic Bags, food delivery packaging, plastic fruit and vegetable
packaging, plastic containers, stirring sticks, single-use table covers,
cups, and food containers made of Styrofoam. Additionally, they include
straws, cotton buds, single-use plastic plates, plastic food containers,
single-use plastic tableware (such as spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks), and
single-use plastic beverage cups and lids. |
|
Single-use
Non-plastic Products: |
Any product made
from materials other than Plastic Materials, and designed for single-time use
and subsequent disposal or recycling. This includes Single-use Bags. |
|
Reusable
Products: |
Products
designed for repeated and varied use for the same purpose or other purposes. |
|
Trading: |
This includes
selling or displaying, with the intention of sale or distribution free of
charge. |
|
Styrofoam: |
Non-porous
polystyrene foam manufactured as insulation boards for buildings, walls,
ceilings, and foundations, functioning as a thermal insulator and moisture
barrier; utilised in containers and cups; and serving as cushioning material
in packaging. |
This Resolution aims to:
1.
protect the
local natural environment and biological and animal wealth;
2.
encourage
community members to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly practices;
3.
promote the
culture of utilising recyclable materials, underscoring its significance in
achieving sustainable development;
4.
stimulate
the private sector and the local market to provide Reusable Products, in line
with the principles of circular economy aimed at reusing materials and products
sustainably in the local economy; and
5.
regulate the
consumption or recycling of Single-use Products, Single-use Materials, and Single-use
Plastic Products.
This Resolution applies to the Single-use Products Traded or used by all
Vendors and Consumers in the Emirate, including in Special Development Zones
and free zones, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre.
For the purposes of this Resolution, the Dubai Municipality will, in
coordination with the Competent Entities, have the duties and powers to:
1.
organise
awareness campaigns aimed at educating and encouraging community members to
minimise the use of Plastic Materials and Single-use Products;
2.
encourage
Vendors to support the projects, initiatives, and programmes aimed at
minimising the use of Plastic Materials and Single-use Products and to provide Reusable
Products; and
3.
exercise any
other duties or powers related to the achievement of the objectives of this
Resolution, as assigned to it by the Chairman of the Executive Council.
Pursuant to this Resolution, the import and Trading of Single-use
Products are prohibited as follows:
a.
Plastic
bags: effective from 1 January 2024
b.
Non-plastic
Single-use Products, including Single-use Bags: effective from 1 June 2024
c.
Single-use
Plastic Products: effective from 1 January 2025. These include:
1.
single-use
plastic stirring sticks;
2.
single-use
table covers;
3.
Styrofoam
cups and food containers;
4.
single-use
plastic straws; and
5.
single-use
plastic cotton buds.
d.
Single-use
Plastic Products: effective from 1 January 2026. These include:
1. single-use plastic plates;
2. single-use plastic food containers;
3. single-use plastic tableware; and
4. single-use plastic beverage cups and lids.
a.
The following products are
exempted from the prohibition stipulated in Article (5) of this Resolution:
I. Single-use
Plastic Bags, including:
1.
Thin
plastic bag rolls used for packaging meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, grains,
and bread; and
2.
garbage
bags.
II. Products
intended for export or re-export outside of the UAE, including:
1.
single-use
plastic shopping bags;
2.
single-use
shopping bags; and
3.
single-use
plastic consumer products.
b.
Trading
of the products referred to in paragraph (a) of this Article in the UAE markets
is hereby prohibited. These products must be
clearly marked for export or re-export outside the UAE.
All Competent Entities, concerned authorities, and Consumers must
develop and implement the following procedures and practices:
1.
reduce
the production and consumption of Sing-use Products;
and
2.
adopt
practices and promote initiatives that contribute to increasing reliance on the
use of Reusable Products.
A Vendor must actively participate in the projects, initiatives, or programmes
aimed at minimising the use of Plastic Materials and Single-use Products; and
provide at reasonable prices alternative Reusable Products, as determined by
the Competent Entities in this respect.
a.
Without
prejudice to any stricter penalty stipulated in any other legislation, a Person
who violates the provisions of Article (5) of this Resolution will be punished
by a fine of two hundred dirhams (AED 200.00).
b.
Upon
repetition of the same violation within one (1) year from the date of the
previous violation, the amount of the fine referred to in paragraph (a) of this
Article will be doubled. A doubled fine must not exceed two thousand dirhams
(AED 2,000.00).
c.
The fines
collected pursuant to this Resolution will be paid to the Public Treasury of
the Government of Dubai.
a.
The
employees of a Competent Entity nominated pursuant to a resolution of its
Director General will have the capacity of law enforcement officers to record
the acts committed in breach of the provisions of this Resolution. For this
purpose, they may issue the necessary violation reports; and, where necessary,
seek the assistance of police personnel.
b.
For the
purpose of verifying the thickness of Single-use Bags and the materials of
which they are made, a law enforcement officer may request a Vendor to provide
him with the identification tag of the bags he offers to Consumers when
purchasing Commodities.
Any affected party submit a written grievance to the Director General
against any decision, procedure, or administrative penalty taken against him
under this Resolution within ten (10) working days of being notified of the
contested decision, procedure, or administrative penalty. The grievance will be
determined, within ten (10) working days from the date of its submission, by a
committee formed by the Director General for this purpose, and the decision on
the grievance will be final.
Any provision in any other resolution is hereby repealed to the extent
that it contradicts the provisions of this Resolution.
This Resolution comes into force on 1 January 2024,
and will be published in the Official Gazette.
Hamdan bin
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince
of Dubai
Chairman of the Executive Council
Issued in Dubai on 30 December 2023
Corresponding to 17 Jumada
al-Thaniyah 1445 A.H.
©2024 The Supreme Legislation Committee in the
Emirate of Dubai
[1]Every effort has been made to produce an
accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the
purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the
original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text will prevail.