Maldives Gears Up to Say Goodbye to These Single-Use Plastic Products Through an Import Ban

One of the current administration’s biggest vision under their strategic plan has been phase-out single-use plastics nationwide by the year 2023. In this regard, on 7^th December, the parliament passed the 18^th Amendment to the Maldives Export-Import Act (Law No. 31/79) which was ratified by the President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on 23^rd December. The new amendment mandated the government to compile and publicize the list of banned single-use plastics, including the date from which the changes are to come into effect prior to 1^st January 2021.

On Wednesday, a circular was publicized with detailing a list of single-use plastic products which will be banned to import effective of 1^st June 2021. The list includes of;

· Plastic drinking straw
· Single-use plastic-based plates, cutleries & stirrers
· Styrofoam lunch box
· Plastic shopping bags below 30x30cm (including oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer based biodegradable plastics)
· Imported sweet areca nuts in plastic wrapping
· Single-use plastic cups below 250ml
· Cotton buds with plastic stems
· Shampoo and soap bottles in plastic packaging that are 50ml and below
· All imported beverages in PET bottles below 500ml (water, carbonated, and non-carbonated drinks)

In addition to this, from 1^st December 2022, plastic shopping bags which are below 50-micron thickness (including oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer based biodegradable plastics) & shampoo and soap bottles in plastic packating from 50ml to 200ml will also be banned. Furthermore, from 1^st December 2023, all imported water bottles packed in P.E.T packaging which are 1 liter and below will be banned as well.

As phasing out single-use plastic is being carried out in carefully laid out phases, it gives the public a sufficient amount of time to come up with alternative solutions.