Bahrain Goes Green at the Checkout

Cloth bags flood stores and social media as plastic ban looms

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Reusable cloth bags are quietly taking over Bahrain's retail landscape — from supermarket checkouts to Instagram storefronts — as the kingdom braces for a tightened ban on thin plastic bags due next month.

Walk into any major hypermarket today and you will find reusable bags sold at the till for a small fee, with insulated versions available for chilled or hot items. The message to shoppers is simple: buy one, keep it, bring it back.

Online, a parallel movement is gaining momentum. Small businesses on Instagram have carved out a niche selling handmade cloth bags with custom designs. Huda, who runs one such account, makes every bag herself from scratch — no factories, no outsourcing. Customers can request personalised text, drawings or patterns, or choose from her ready-made designs.

The regulatory backdrop is Resolution No. 7 of 2026, which bans single-use plastic bags thinner than 57 microns and clears four alternatives: reusable plastic bags of 57 microns or more, paper bags, cloth bags, and fully biodegradable bags.

Sayed Ali Shubbar, Director of the Inspection and Standards Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said the response from the business community had been encouraging. Many companies had already begun modifying production lines or sourcing compliant suppliers.

He acknowledged transitional challenges — clearing old stock, finding new suppliers and understanding technical specifications — but said the ministry had issued a guidance manual and opened direct communication channels with affected businesses.