Maldives lifts ban on import of plastic straws

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has temporarily lifted the ban on import, production and sale of single-use plastic drinking straws in the Maldives.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the President’s Office announced that President Muizzu had amended the list of single-use plastics deemed detrimental to the environment based on recommendations from the Environment Ministry.

The Maldives had banned the import of plastic drinking straws in 2021, and extended the ban to include the production and sale of the product in 2022.

President Muizzu amended the list on Thursday to defer the ban on import of single-use plastic drinking straws to June 1, 2031, and the production and sale of the product to December 19, 2031.

He also amended the ban on water packaged in plastic bottles sized 500 milliliters to one liter, deferring the ban on import and production of the product to December 1, 2029, and the sale of the product to June 1, 2030.

The move follows a similar move last year, when he amended the list to defer the ban on sale of the product from 2027 to 2028.

The new amendment also changes the size threshold for plastic bottles from 500 milliliters to 250 milliliters. As a result, the import, production and sale of pre-packaged beverages, excluding water, in plastic bottles measuring less than 250 milliliters are prohibited with immediate effect.