Gov’t Postpones Ban on Small Plastic Bottles 

The government has once again postponed the enforcement of a ban on small plastic bottles, which are the final items on the list of single-use plastics prohibited from being imported, produced, or sold in the country.

A circular signed and released by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu yesterday stated that the production and import of water in plastic bottles of 1 litre, 500 millilitres, or any size below 1 litre will be prohibited from December next year. The distribution of these bottles in the market is set to be banned from 1 March 2026 onwards.

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The initial date for banning small plastic water bottles was today, following the first postponement announced by President Muizzu in a circular published last December.

The former administration of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih compiled a list of single-use plastic products banned from import, production, and distribution in the country. This list outlines separate enforcement dates for a total of 14 products. To date, 13 out of the 14 products on the list have been banned.