Maldives Defers Single-Use Plastic Restrictions, Bans Small Beverage Bottles

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has amended the list of single-use plastics deemed harmful to the environment, deferring several previously announced restrictions while introducing an immediate ban on certain small plastic beverage bottles.

The changes were made through Presidential Decree No. 15/2026, following recommendations from the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy and were published in the Government Gazette.

Under the amendment, the ban on the import of single-use plastic drinking straws under Item 1 has been deferred from 1 June 2021 to 1 June 2031.

The prohibition on the production and sale of the same items has also been deferred, moving from 19 December 2022 to 19 December 2031.

The government has also revised the implementation dates for restrictions on small plastic water bottles.

For water packaged in plastic bottles of 500ml to one litre, the prohibition on import and production has been deferred to 1 December 2029, while the prohibition on sale has been deferred to 1 June 2030.

However, the amendment introduces a stricter restriction for another category of beverages.

Under Item 14, the plastic bottle size threshold has been reduced from 500ml to 250ml. As a result, the import, production and sale of pre-packaged beverages other than water in plastic bottles smaller than 250ml are prohibited with immediate effect.

The Maldives has been gradually phasing out single-use plastics to reduce plastic pollution and protect its marine environment. A phased list of single-use plastic products was introduced in 2020, with restrictions on imports, production and sales scheduled to take effect at different stages. The list and deadlines have since been amended several times.