Environment Ministry bans 8 types of single-use plastics

Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology on Thursday announced banning multiple types of single use plastics in Maldivian market.

According to the ministry, production and sale of a total of eight different types of plastic content have been banned under the new regulation.

The cessation and ban on single-use plastics in Maldives was planned to be carried under different phases in accordance with the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No: 4/93).

Currently banned plastic types

- plastic straws

- plastic plates and utensils such as forks and spoons

- Styrofoam boxes

- Oxo degradable and synthetic polymer bags (under 30 centimeters in length)

- supari packaged in plastic containers

- plastic cups (single-use/disposable and used for carrying liquids under 250 milli-liters)

- cotton earbuds with plastic tips

- shampoo, soap gel, conditioner and lotion packaged in plastic (below or between 50 milli-liters)

Under the act, production or manufacture of ready-made and synthetically sweetened drinks packaged in plastic containers or bottles will be banned effective from Thursday, 02nd June 2022.

However, sale of such products will be banned from September 2022 onwards.

Products banned effective from September 2022

- water packaged in plastic bottle (below 500 milli-liters)

- ready-made or synthetic drinks packaged in plastic bottles (below 500 milli-liters)

In a bid to reduce dependence on single-use plastics, government will be banning sale of water packaged in plastic (1 liter and below) by 2024.

The policies created by the incumbent government towards reduction of single-use plastic include banning importation of disposable or single-use plastics, as well tweaks to import duty regulations.

Additionally, the government will reportedly create a national database on single-use plastic usage and other related statistics to properly monitor the extent of plastic usage in the Maldives.

Other policies include introduction of environmentally friendly alternatives for product packaging, as well hiking import duties on single-use plastics to discourage importers, and a duty exemption for importers opting for environmentally friendly options.

Although the government is expected to place rigorous constraints at an industrial capacity, single-use plastics used by small-to-medium tier businesses are still exempted.