This phase-out plan is a national initiative to phase-out  the  production, import and consumption of certain single-use plastics in the Maldives and promote the use of sustainable alternatives, in the effort to protect human health and the vulnerable marine environment of the country. In addition, by using strategic awareness and educational campaigns, the aim of this plan is to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics by nudging consumers to shift away from SUPs and towards more sustainable alternatives.

The single-use plastic phase-out plan comprises of 6 different policies, including ban of selected SUPs, implementing Market Based Instruments, strengthening data collection, introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), sustainable provision of alternatives as well as conducting education and awareness activities. Each policy and their underlying strategies address a different aspect of the fight against single-use plastic and the throw away culture that has developed within the Maldivian society over the years.

The convenience of single-use plastic is the main reason for the high consumption of SUP products. Most of the time SUPs end up as litter; contributing to the pollution of the environment and degradation of the aesthetic beauty of the country.

Policy 1 of this plan focuses on reduction of such waste by banning the import, production and sale of specific SUPs that have affordable alternatives available, as not to cause an inconvenience to the public, businesses as well as government agencies.

Policy 2 comprises of three main Market Based Instruments including implementation of tariffs, levies, incentives and business facilitations. This policy focuses on reduction in consumption and in turn the production and import of SUP products, as well as introducing and encouraging the use of sustainable alternatives in the Maldivian market. One of the main obstacles in developing the phase-out plan was the collection of data on the various types of SUPs that most commonly end up littering our environment. Import data of various SUPs were reviewed in order to support the estimated data of the waste produced by the distribution and consumption of SUPs by the Maldivian market.

Policy 3 focuses on setting future targets for plastic packaging reduction through improved data collection of imports.

Policy 4 (Extended Producer Responsibility) focuses on responsible collection mechanisms to be set up by business entities through mechanisms such as deposit refund system and other product stewardship programs.
Among the products that are currently allowed in the Maldivian market, the responsibility of managing or contributing to managing the waste generated once the end of the life cycle of the product is reached, will be placed on the business entities that benefit from the sale and profit of these SUPs. 

Policy 5 involves the provision of sustainable alternatives and is directly linked to the duty exemption strategy of Policy 2. The main objective is to make the use of refillable water bottles convenient for the public, to ensure accessibility to water once bottled water less than 1 litre in size have been phased-out.

Policy 6 targets to educate the public regarding the products that will be banned or phased-out. Activities under Policy 6 also aims to make the public aware about the long- and short-term impact of single-use plastic on our environment as well as human health. The main objective of this policy is to help the public, government and business entities understand the potential positive impact of a collective effort to make a conscious choice to use eco-friendly alternatives instead of single-use plastics.
The single-use plastic phase-out plan aims to reduce the impact of single-use plastic on our environment, health and economy through implementation of the activities outlined under the six policies. Hence it is of great significance that the objectives of this plan are achieved through a coordinated effort by the implementing agencies, monitoring agencies and other stakeholders. 

Source: Ministry of Environment, Maldives (2021). Single Use Plastic Phase Out Plan 2020-2023.