Government delays ban on small plastic water bottles until 2028

The government today decided to postpone the ban on small plastic water bottles, the final item on the list of single-use plastics harmful to the environment, until 2028. This marks the third time the deadline has been extended.

According to the decree issued today, signed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu:

The previous policy stipulated that the import and production of water in plastic bottles sized between 500ml and 1 litre would be banned starting yesterday, December 1, 2024. Furthermore, the release of these items into the market was originally scheduled to be banned on March 1, 2026.

With the new decree taking effect, the ban on plastic water bottles between 500ml and 1 litre has been postponed by two years.

The list of single-use plastic items whose import, production, and market release are to be banned was compiled by the previous administration. The list designated a total of 14 plastic items to be banned across different phases and deadlines. The final item on this list was the plastic bottle sized between 500ml and 1 litre.

Out of the 14 items on the list, 13 items have already been banned.