Maldives delays ban on 500ml–1 litre plastic water bottles to 2027
The related ban on the sale of plastic bottles in the same size category has also been postponed.
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President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has amended the presidential decree governing single-use plastics, postponing the ban on plastic water bottles sized between 500ml and 1 litre to 2027.
The amendment delays the prohibition on packaging, producing and importing single-use plastic water bottles in the 500ml–1 litre range. The ban, previously scheduled to take effect on 1 December 2025, will now come into force on 1 December 2027.
The related ban on the sale of plastic bottles in the same size category has also been postponed. Originally set for enforcement on 1 March 2026, it will now take effect on 1 June 2028.
The presidential decree issued on 1 December 2023 outlines a list of single-use plastics (SUPs) deemed harmful to the environment, along with the dates on which their import, manufacture and sale will be restricted.
The decree identifies 14 SUP items, including plastic-based products and those manufactured with plastic, for phased prohibition. These items include:
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Single-use plastic drinking straws
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Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and stirrers
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Styrofoam lunch boxes
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Plastic shopping bags below 30cm (including oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer biodegradable bags)
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Plastic shopping bags below 50cm (including oxo-degradable and synthetic polymer biodegradable bags)
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Sweet areca nuts in plastic wrapping
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Sweet areca nuts in plastic packaging other than wrapping
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Single-use plastic drinking cups below 250ml
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Cotton buds with plastic stems
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Shampoo, soap, conditioner and lotion bottles of 50ml and below
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Shampoo, soap, conditioner and lotion bottles from 50ml to 200ml
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Water packaged in plastic bottles below 500ml
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Water packaged in plastic bottles of 1 litre and below
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Carbonated and non-carbonated beverages in plastic bottles below 500ml (excluding drinking water)
The list was first published during the MDP administration. Water packaged in bottles below 1 litre—including those under 500ml—will be the final items to be banned.
