Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology has provided the Maldives Customs Service with equipment to measure plastic bags that are thinner than 50 microns.
The agreement to provide the equipment was signed by Deputy Environment Minister Mohamed Ansar and Deputy Commissioner of Customs Mohamed Maaniu. Customs will use the equipment to measure the thickness of plastic bags being brought into the Maldives in order to implement the government’s ban on some types of single-use plastics (SUPs). The environment ministry stated that Customs will be able to collect data and keep records of plastic bags being brought into the Maldives.
In December 2022, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih issued a decree republishing the list of SUPs banned for import into the Maldives under the Waste Management Act. Phasing out the use of SUPs in the Maldives is one of the government’s key environmental pledges. The list specifies 13 items, prohibits their manufacture within the country, and dates when they will be banned from importation into the country. These include plastic tubes, cups and spoons, styrofoam boxes for food, and plastic bags and cups of certain sizes.