Dubai implementing plastic ban at airports

The ban will begin with the removal of plastic cutlery, straws, food packaging and bags from cafes, restaurants and shops.

Since operator Dubai Airports first pledged in June to remove plastics at Dubai International and the city's smaller Al Maktoum Airport, it has worked with more than 250 concession and hospitality partners to implement the ban. The company also said that as 2020 progresses "significantly more single-use plastic products will be replaced," though it wasn't specific as to which products those will be.

Notably, the project will see McDonald's replace more than 5.6 million items with recyclable materials. And Costa Coffee will replace the more than 2.6 million cups it uses each year at the two Dubai airports with a plant-based cup.

The plastics ban follows a similar measure by Delhi's Indira Gandhi this year. Meanwhile, San Francisco Airport banned plastic water bottles in August.

And, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport, could be next. Earlier this month, the Atlanta City Council voted to ban single-use plastics in all city buildings, including the airport. The ban isn't to take effect until the end of 2020 and will only apply to city purchases or to businesses on city contracts signed after the effective date, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.