New Dates Set for Small Plastic Bottle Ban in the Maldives

The Maldives government has postponed the enforcement of a ban on small plastic bottles, marking the second delay for the final items on the country's list of banned single-use plastics.

A circular signed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced that the production and import of water in plastic bottles of 1 liter or smaller will now be prohibited from December next year. Market distribution of these bottles is set to be banned from March 1, 2026.
Initially, the ban was supposed to take effect today, following the first postponement disclosed by President Muizzu in December of last year.

The list of single-use plastic products banned from import, production, and distribution in the Maldives was compiled by the previous administration under Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The list includes a total of 14 products, each with separate enforcement dates.

To date, thirteen out of the fourteen products on the list have been successfully banned. This latest postponement affects only the final item on the list, small plastic water bottles, as the government continues its efforts to reduce plastic waste in the country.