MDP Criticises Government Decision to Delay Single-Use Plastic Bans

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has criticised the government’s decision to defer restrictions on several single-use plastic products, including moving the ban on plastic straw imports to 2031.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu amended the list of single-use plastics deemed harmful to the environment on Saturday through Presidential decree, following recommendations from the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy. 

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Under the amendment, the import ban on single-use plastic drinking straws has been deferred from June 1, 2021 to June 1, 2031, while restrictions on their production and sale have been moved from December 2022 to December 2031. Restrictions on importing and producing water packaged in plastic bottles between 500ml and one litre have also been deferred to December 2029, with the sales ban set for June 2030. 

The MDP said the decision reverses key elements of the single-use plastic phase-out policy introduced by its administration in 2020 and undermines environmental commitments after businesses and the public had adapted to the restrictions.

The party also questioned the justification for the changes, saying the government had not publicly presented a study or sufficient evidence explaining why the restrictions needed to be deferred or why the 2031 timeline was necessary.

The MDP said repeated delays could discourage businesses from investing in compliance with future environmental standards and affect the Maldives’ environmental commitments.

The party called on the government to fully implement the existing phase-out policy and said a future MDP administration would strengthen restrictions on single-use plastics, establish standards for sustainable alternatives and increase responsibility for plastic waste generation.

The government’s latest amendment also lowered the threshold for certain pre-packaged beverages, excluding water, from 500ml to 250ml. Import, production and sale of such beverages in plastic bottles smaller than 250ml are now prohibited. 

According to a statement from the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy released on Sunday, the changes were made to find a practical and sustainable solution to difficulties faced by the public and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the existing regulations, while maintaining the government’s long-term environmental protection policies.

The Ministry said users had raised concerns about paper straws used as alternatives to plastic straws, citing difficulties caused by the straws becoming soggy and dissolving in liquids. It also said some paper straws use an inner plastic layer and adhesives during manufacturing, which it said could increase the likelihood of microplastic generation after disposal.