The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has stated that the ban on single-use plastic drinking straws was temporarily lifted because of the difficulties in using paper straws in its place.
According to the Waste Management Act, the President can split the List of Single-Use Plastics Detrimental to the Environment (Presidential Decree No. 35/2025) into different categories and choose plastics and plastic products that are prohibited to be imported, manufactured and put onto the market in Maldives.
There are 14 types of single-use plastics in the decree, and the import, production and market introduction of any bottled product aside from water packaged in 1 liter plastic bottles and plastic bottles between 1 liter and 500 milliliters has been prohibited.
However, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu amended the decree yesterday and changed the ban status on three types of plastic. They are plastic straws, and water packaged in 1 liter plastic bottles and plastic bottles between 1 liter and 500 milliliters.
President Muizzu also changed the plastic bottle size minimum from 500 milliliters to 250 milliliters, with the President prohibiting the import, production and sale of pre-packaged drinks to the Maldivian market from today onward. Water is not included in this ban.
According to a statement from the ministry, this change was brought about to find practical and sustainable solutions for the difficulties being faced by the public and small and medium enterprises which are being caused by the current regulations in place, while maintaining the government's long-term environmental protection policies.
The ministry said that people who use paper straws have highlighted that paper straws would break down and mix with water, and are faced with difficulties in using it. The ministry highlighted the use of an internal plastic layer and glue in the production of paper straws, which may see increased opportunities in the formation of microplastics after they are used and thrown away.
The ministry stated the dates of the bans on plastic straws were deferred so that there is more time to introduce an alternative to the market that is environmentally friendly and is of good quality.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made the decision yesterday to defer the date of the ban on the import of single-use plastic straws to Maldives to June 2031, which was originally set in 2022.
The date to prohibit the import, production and market introduction of water packaged in 1 liter plastic bottles and plastic bottles between 1 liter and 500 milliliters has been deferred on three separate occasions.
However, the ministry said as there are some islands without an established water system and with some islands that have an established clean drinking water system not being provided water services, citizens are dependent mainly on bottled water.
The statement reads that if the import, production and market introduction of this type of water is banned during such a time, the public may experience major difficulties and hardship in acquiring clean drinking water. The date to prohibit this type of water has been deferred to 1st December 2029.
The ministry went on to say that as there is a ban on the import, production and sale of pre-packaged drinks below 500 milliliters to the Maldivian market, small and medium enterprises that import some pre-packaged drinks have been experiencing some major difficulties. They said this includes drinks prepared for and used by athletes, and drinks prepared specifically for children.
The ministry continued by stating that as Maldives does not produce such pre-packaged drinks, Maldives is dependent on foreign products. The ministry said we must come to terms with the fact that changing production lines specifically for the Maldivian market and making said drinks is a rare occurrence.
Due to this, the plastic bottle size minimum was changed from 500 milliliters to 250 milliliters in order to find a solution to the major financial and operational difficulties faced by small and medium enterprises.
