Starting from today (25th of July, 2020), The new requirements on Disposable Plastic Table Covers will be enforced as part of the second phase of the Ministerial Order no. 11 for year 2019 regarding the technical requirements of degradable plastic products as stated by “Testing and Metrology Directorate” at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. The new plastic products will be coming with new specifications that makes the plastic products to degrade faster than before to counter plastic pollution in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa stated that: this program was accomplished in cooperation between the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism represented by the Testing and Metrology Directorate and the Supreme Council for Environment represented by the Environmental Assessment and Control Directorate where the first phase of this program began on the 25th of July last year and covering the essential plastic products.
Shaikh Hamad Bin Salman Al Khalifa also confirmed that, the vast majority of local plastic manufacturing firms in Bahrain are capable of manufacturing degradable plastic table covers as mandated by the Ministerial Order no. 11 for year 2019, where the latest survey conducted by the Testing & Metrology Directorate in June 2020 indicates that: most of the local manufacturers are ready for the 2nd phase requirements, as they capable of applying the requirements on table cover products by 25 July 2020.
As scientifically proven, the dangerousness of plastics lies in its insoluble substance, in addition to its wide usage as low-priced products, which leads to the accumulation of wastes in landfills and consume large areas of them. If plastic waste reaches the marine environment, the risk lies in the consumption of the waste by living organisms as nutrition, which constitutes a danger to these creatures and humans, respectively.
It is worth noting that, the first stage of the plastic regulation was enforced since July 2019, and covering the banning of essential not degradable plastic products like grocery bags, garbage bags and laundry bags.  The Import consignments statistics show that more than 70,000 plastic products were rejected by the Ministry, during the period from July 25, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
The Ministry emphasizes on the importance of the efforts made by manufacturers and importers of plastic products to change the specifications of plastic products covered by the resolution to be oxo-biodegradable and asked the concerned companies to approach the Supreme Council for Environment instantly to license their products in order to avoid any rejection of their consignments when entering the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Testing and Metrology Directorate the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism  is ready to receive inquiries from local manufacturers and importers as well as consumers via phone: 17574909, fax: 17570730, e-mail bsmd@www.moic.gov.bh