The Maldives Customs Service has destroyed more than 500,000 plastic bags.
In a statement, Customs said that the destroyed plastic bags were single-use plastic items that have been banned by the government. The plastic bags were seized by Customs and destroyed at the landfill site in Kulhudhuffushi, Haa Dhaalu Atoll.
A total of 535,000 plastic bags of various sizes were destroyed at the site on March 16, according to Customs. Over 5 million plastic bags have been destroyed so far this year. The government is committed to phasing out single-use plastics in the Maldives by 2023, as per the Parliament Resolution of 2019 and the declaration made by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2019.
The phase-out plan is a national initiative to phase out the production, import, and sales of particular single-use plastics in the Maldives and promote the use of sustainable alternatives, in order to safeguard public health and the vulnerable marine environment of the country.
The first phase has been in effect since June 1 under the Environment Protection and Preservation Act and includes the ban on the production and sales of eight different types of single-use plastics. To achieve this goal, the amendment to the act prohibits the import, manufacture, and marketing of single-use plastics. The first list was released on January 1, 2022. Items from the list include plastic bags below 30cm x 30cm, plastic straws used in drinks, as well as plastic cutlery, stirrers, plates, and cups below 250ml. The government has also imposed a tax of USD0.13 tax on sold or supplied by businesses to customers.