Muscat – Oman’s government is mulling tougher rules to regulate the use of plastic products, including carrying bags.
A meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) to discuss the issue of increasing use of plastic products in the country.
A statement was issued then, describing the impact of plastic bags on marine life especially due to the dumping of plastic waste in the sea as a matter of great concern.
MECA seeks to enact legislation that limits the use of plastic bags to prevent their impact on the environment and also to protect the health of both people and marine organisms.
A Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) proposal concerning the adoption of ISO 17088 in the manufacture and import of plastic bags for general purposes was discussed at the meeting.
In Oman, plastic bags can be converted into compost under special conditions, complying with GSO 901/1997 for organic compost made from solid waste in the cities.
Workshops will be held for factory owners, importers and raw materials factories to ensure the gradual implementation of the decision by explaining to them the regulations for both imported and locally manufactured plastic bags.
Biodegradation; disintegration during composting; negative effects on the composting process and facility; and negative effects on the quality of the resulting compost, including the presence of high levels of regulated metals and other harmful components.
This specification is intended to set up the requirements for the labeling of plastic products and materials, including packaging made from plastics, as ‘compostable’ or ‘compostable in municipal and industrial composting facilities” or “biodegradable during composting” (for the purposes of this International Standard, these three expressions are considered to be equivalent).
The labeling will also have to conform to international, regional, national or local regulations.
&uuid=(email))