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Ban on 1 liter plastic water bottles postponed to 2024

Customers carry goods brought from a shop in plastic bags. (Sun Photo/Mohamed Naail Hussain)

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, on Thursday, issued a decree announcing the revised list of Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) detrimental to the environment.

14 specific SUP items including plastic items and those manufactured with plastic were identified in the decree as harmful to the environment, and outlines the dates on which their import, manufacture, and sale will be prohibited.

The decree also modifies the date for the prohibition of import, production and sale of the 13th item on the 14-item list; plastic water bottles of 1 liter or less. With the update, plastic water bottles of 1 liter or less will be prohibited from import and manufacture in the Maldives starting August next year, while they will be banned from the market starting November next year.

Thursday’s decree repealed previous regulations defining environmentally harmful SUPs and governing their manufacture, import, and marketing in the Maldives.

The 14 specific SUP items listed on the decree and the dates the prohibition will come into effect are as follows;

Single-use plastic-based drinking straw

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Single-use plastic-based plates, cutleries and stirrers

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Styrofoam lunch box

Date of prohibition of import: December 31, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Plastic shopping bags below 30cm (To include oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer-based biodegradable bags)

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Plastic shopping bags below 50cm (To include oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer-based biodegradable bags)

Date of prohibition of import: January 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of production: January 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of sales: June 1, 2024

Sweet areca nuts in plastic wrapping

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Sweet areca nuts in plastic packaging other than plastic wrapping

Date of prohibition of import: January 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of production: January 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of sales: June 1, 2024

Single-use plastic drinking cups below 250ml

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Cotton buds with plastic stems

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Shampoo, soap, conditioner and lotion in plastic bottles that are 50ml and below

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Shampoo, soap, conditioner and lotion in plastic bottles that are from 50ml to 200ml

Date of prohibition of import: December 1, 2022

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: March 1, 2023

Water packaged in plastic bottles below 500ml

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

Water packaged in plastic bottles of 1 liter and below

Date of prohibition of import: August 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of production: August 1, 2024

Date of prohibition of sales: November 1, 2024

Beverages (carbonated and non-carbonated) packed in plastic bottles below 500ml apart from drinking water

Date of prohibition of import: June 1, 2021

Date of prohibition of production: December 19, 2022

Date of prohibition of sales: December 19, 2022

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