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Wednesday 25 December 2024
The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) and the Environment Authority (EA) conducted a joint inspection campaign on shopping malls and shops in Muscat Governorate to monitor the enforcement of Resolution (8/2024) on the prohibition of plastic shopping bags. The campaign's goal is to reduce pollution and protect the environment by encouraging a shift in culture regarding the use of plastic products and avoiding the problems that arise from the overuse of plastic shopping bags in stores and other business establishments.
The market inspection campaign aims to ensure that the aforementioned resolution is implemented during the designated period in accordance with the categories and sectors of commercial activities in the public and private sectors. This is done in order to encourage relevant national factories and the gradual transition to environmentally friendly factories in line with international efforts to protect the environment and preserve the development of its resources. Additionally, it seeks to decrease products that don't adhere to environmental standards.
Awareness and inspection efforts will be intensified during the campaign through systematic control visits conducted by five teams across all Wilayats of Muscat Governorate. These efforts aim to educate suppliers and encourage them to offer alternatives to plastic shopping bags in line with the requirements of the decision. This initiative also serves as preparation for the upcoming ban on the circulation of all plastic and non-environmentally friendly shopping bags in local markets, effective January 1, 2025. By stopping the provision of plastic bags and promoting sustainable alternatives, the campaign seeks to achieve its objectives, serve the public interest, and enhance awareness of relevant legal regulations and enforcement procedures in case of violations.
In addition, individuals will gain an understanding of the importance of complying with the decision, adopting environmentally friendly and health-conscious alternatives, and avoiding products that pose risks to their safety, health, and the environment. The CPA has launched several joint campaigns with various government entities to stay aligned with the latest developments in global environmental agreements. These efforts aim to achieve the objectives of implementing such decisions while balancing environmental preservation with economic development. The CPA also seeks to strengthen and support fieldwork efforts to monitor markets and commercial centers across the Sultanate of Oman.