First Draft 
 
 
 
 
 
أكياس التسوق القابلة لإعادة  الإستخدام 
والمصنوعة من البولي ايثيلين 
Polyethylene Reusable Shopping 
Bags  
 
 
 
المديرية العامة للمواصفات والمقاييس 
وزارة التجارة والصناعة 
 
 
 
 
هذه الوثيقة مشروع لمواصففة يياسفية عمانيفة تف  توزيعافا لإبفدال الفرأل والماحظفات ششفهناا    
لذلك فإناا عرضة للتغير والتبديل  ولا يجوز الرجوع إلياا كمواصفة يياسية  عمانيفة معتمفدة إلا 
شعد اعتمادها . 
 Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 2  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
تقدي 
المديرية العامة للمواصفات والمقاييس جهاز التقييس الوطني بالسلطنة أنشئت بموجب المرسوم 
السلطاني رقم 39/ 1976, ومن مهامها إعداد المواصفات القياسية العمانية واللوائح الفنية إستناداً
للمرسوم السلطاني رقم 1  /87 
وقد قامت دائرة المواصفات  بالمديرية  باعداد المواصفة القياسية العمانية رقم OS----/2020،
الخاصة بـ" أكياس التسوق القابلة لإعادة  الإستخدام والمصنوعة من البولي ايثيلين"، وقد تم إعداد  
المشروع بعد إستعراض المواصفات القياسية العربية  والأجنبية والدولية والمؤلفات المرجعية، 
والقوانين ذات الصلة. 
وقـد اعتمدت هذة المواصفة كـمواصفة قياسية عمانية ملزمة , بتاريخ  / /   ه ـ،الموافق    /  /        
م. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 3  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Polyethylene Reusable  Plastic  Shopping Bags    
 
1.Scope  
This standard is concerned with the requirements for reusable  plastic shopping bags 
and does not include biodegradable or single use bags . 
 
2.Cmoplemantry References  
2.1 GSO ISO 14024  "Environmental labels and declarations -- Type I environmental 
labelling -- Principles and procedures"  
2.2 GSO 572 “Polyethylene Bags for Multi -purposes”  Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 4 2.3 ISO 1421 “Rubber - or plastics -coated fabrics — Determination of tensile strength and 
elongation at break ” 
2.4 ASTM D1238  Standard Test Method For Melt Flow Rates Of Thermoplastics By 
Extrusion Plastometer ” 
2.5 ASTM F88 “ Standard Test Method For Seal Strength Of Flexible Barrier 
Materials ” 
2.6 GSO ISO 7765 -1 “Plastics film and sheeting — Determination of impact 
resistance by the free -falling dart method — Part 1: Staircase methods ” 
2.7 ASTM D3354 “ Standard Test Method for Blocking Load of Plastic Film by the 
Parallel Plate Method ” 
2.8 GSO ISO 8296  “ Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of wetting 
tension ” 
2.9 ASTM F233 8 “Standard Test Method for  Nondestructive Detection of Leaks in 
Packages by Vacuum Decay Method”  
 
 
3. Definitions  
3.1 Reusable bags: bags made of plastic and have reusable properties that are 
different from single use or biodegradable bags.  
 
3.2 Bag length :  The vertical dimension between the open top and bottom of the bag, 
including any bottom gusset (a fold at the bottom intende d to increase the bag 
capacity).  
 
3.3 Bag width :  The lateral dimension between the two sides of the bag, including 
any side gussets (folds at the sides intended to increase the bag capacity).  
 
3.4 Bag thickness :  The thickness of a single layer polyethylene film used in making 
the bag.  
 
3.5 Blocking :  The adhesion between the touching sides of the bag.  
 
 
4.Requirments  
Reusable polyethylene plastic bags shall meet the following requirements:  
 
4.1 The material s used in manufacture of the bag shall be free from toxic materials or 
those expected to cause health hazards to users or those generally unsuitable for 
human use . They shall not be included as prohibited hazardous materials in the 
ministerial decree No. 25 /2009 for Regulation of Organization of Handling and Using 
of Chemicals issued by ministry of environment and climate affairs.  
 
4.2 The reusable plastic bags shall be complied with GSO standard mentioned in item 
(2.2).  
4.3 The reusable plastic bags shall be able to be used at least 125 times. They may be 
able to be recycled at the end of their using.  
  Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 5 4.4 As for foodstuffs, the reusable plastic bag s shall not be used for packaging of 
fresh food . They shall not come into dir ect contact with the foodstuff, but rather 
prepacked foodstuffs or previously packaged with food grade materials . 
 
4.5 The thickness  of the reusable plastic bag shall not be less than 50 µm. 
 
4.6 Reusable plastic bag  should not be painted, tagged, packed , or otherwise 
treated to prevent recycling after consumption.  
 
4.7 The reusable plastic bag shall  be designed in a way that ensures ease of use in 
terms of bag handles, size and shape.  The base and handle of the bag can be made of 
non-plastic materials such as cardboard or other materials that are not harmful to the 
environment.  
 
4.8 If a mixture of p lastic waste is used to manufacture the reusable  bag, all products 
made from it that come into direct contact with soil and water s hall not have any 
negative impact on the environment.   
 
4.9 The reusable plastic bag shall be free from foreign materials and  from any bad 
manufacturing defects such as tears, pin holes, un -melted or carbonized gels or 
undesirable surface finish such as dye lines or other defects.  
 
4.10 The seal at the sides of the  reusable  plastic  bag shall be suitable, clean and free 
from any obvious defects.  The seal strength of the bag shall be not less than 75% of 
the ultimate strength of polyethylene film from which the bag is made, in two 
principal directions (vertical and horizontal).  
 
4.11 The reusable plastic bag seal shall be resistan t to leakage when tested with water.  
The mass of the test water used shall be equivalent to that of the shopping item 
intended to be placed in the bag, or when tested using compressed air.  
 
4.12 The reusable  plastic  bag shall open easily without any obvious blocking upon 
placing an object weighing 5 kg over them for 12 hours and under a temperature of 60  
ºC. 
 
4.13 The reusable  plastic  bag shall not be subjected to tear when packed with 
materials normally used for their p ackaging , according to the weight specified on the 
bag’s label,  and made to fall from a height of 1.2 m on a solid level surface.  
 
4.14 In case of any environment claims on reusable plastic bag, it shall be complied 
with item (2.1).  
 
4.15 The minimum tensile strength and elongation at break for heavy, medium and 
light duty reusable plastic bag materials, depending on their thickness shall be in 
accordance with table ( 1): 
 
 
Table (1): Tensile strength and elongation at break  
 Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 6   Tensile strength at break 
vertical/lateral direction (mega 
pascal)  Elongation at break 
vertical/lateral direction (%)  
Classification  Classification  
Thickness 
(µm)  Heavy 
duty Medium 
duty Light 
duty Heavy 
duty Medium 
duty Light 
duty 
50-60 27/25 23/21 19/18 650/550 450/350 400/300 
>60 26/24 22/20 18/17 700/600 500/400 450/350 
 
4.16 The minimum dart drop impact strength for heavy, medium and light duty bags, 
depending on their thickness, shall be in accordance with table ( 2). 
 
Table (2):Dart drop impact resistance  
 
Sheeting 
thickness 
(micron)  Impact resistance (gram / micron)  
Classification  
Heavy duty  Medium duty  Light duty  
50-60 5.5 3.5 2.5 
>60 5 3 2 
 
5. Sampling   
 Samples shall be drawn at random either as separate bags or as packages and shall 
include all types and sizes.  The number of withdrawn bags shall not be less than (10).  
 
6. Test Methods    
The following tests shall be conducted on the test samples drawn in accordance to 
item (5):  
6.1 Visual inspection.   
6.2 Determina tion of melt flow rate in accordance to item (2.4).  
6.3 Determination of tensile strength and elongation at break in accordance to item 
(2.3).  
6.4. Determination of seal strength  in accordance to item (2. 5). 
 6.5 Determination of dart drop impact  in accord ance to item (2. 6). 
 6.6  Determination of drop resistance  in accordance to item ( 4.13). 
 6.7 Determination of leakage resistance  in accordance to item ( 2.9). .  
6.8 Determination of blocking strength  in accordance to item ( 2.7). 
6.9 Determination of wetting  tension  in accordance to item ( 2.8). 
 
7. Packaging    
Reusable Bags shall be packed in suitable containers to ensure adequate protection 
against external factors and from damage during transportation under normal 
conditions between the manufacturer and the purchaser and during storage.  Bags shall 
be packed ei ther in form of rolls or singles.  Rolls of bag shall be uniform and 
smoothly wound on suitable cores.  The length of the cores shall be longer than the 
width of the roll by 5 mm on each side.  
 
 
8. Labeling    
Each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked, in Arabic or both Arabic and 
English, with the following information:  
 Omani Standard                                                                                                           ----/-----   OS   
 
 7 8.1 Name of product  (reusable plastic bag) . 
8.2 Name of manufacturer and/or his trademark  
8.3 Number of bags per package  
8.4 Size of the bags  
8.5 Country of origin  
8.6 Maximum weight for portable materials  
8.7 Any warnings needed  
8.8 Date of production