The Maldives has deferred several deadlines for restrictions on single-use plastics until 2029, 2030 and 2031 following recommendations from the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy.
Under Presidential Decree No. 15/2026, the ban on importing single-use plastic drinking straws has been postponed from 1 June 2021 to 1 June 2031. The ban on the production and sale of plastic drinking straws in the Maldives has also been deferred from 19 December 2022 to 19 December 2031.
The decree also revises restrictions on certain types of plastic water bottles.
For water packaged in plastic bottles ranging from 500 millilitres to one litre, the ban on import and production has been postponed to 1 December 2029, while the ban on sale has been deferred to 1 June 2030.
The amendment also changes the size threshold for another category of plastic bottles from 500 millilitres to 250 millilitres.
As a result, the import, production and sale of pre-packaged beverages, excluding water, in plastic bottles smaller than 250 millilitres are now prohibited with immediate effect.
The amendments to the list of single-use plastics considered harmful to the environment have been published in the Government Gazette.
