Environment Minister Dr. Thoriq Ibrahim has said that a planned ban on plastic water bottles smaller than one litre was pushed back to give time to develop the water system in the atolls.
Under the resolution against single-use plastic, it was previously planned to ban water bottles of this size from November 2024. However, the government amended the resolution last week and postponed the date to March 2026.
This is the second time the date has been postponed. When Adhadhu questioned about the matter, Thoriq responded in writing that the current government wants to ban single-use plastic.
"We believe that these types of plastics are harmful to the environment, especially the marine environment and life," he said.
Thoriq said 500ml and one-litre bottles of water cannot be banned at the moment as there is no access to clean drinking water in some islands. He added that banning plastic water bottles now would impose suffering on the people.
"Many islands do not have an adequate water supply system. Contracts have been awarded for this work and the projects are in various stages. If plastic bottles are banned now, the people will have to bear the burden," Thoriq said.
In addition to banning single-use plastics, Thoriq shared two other things the government is considering to reduce these types of plastics.
One is the development of an "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) legal framework to hold plastics producers accountable. The second is to encourage private businesses and civil society organizations to recycle with benefits.
The plastic phase-out program is implemented under the Waste Management Act. According to the law, the President must determine the types of plastics and the dates for banning.
The items that have been banned so far include small bags, supari packets, water bottles below 500ml and plastic plates.
