Phase-out of plastic waste on the Maldives: challenges, gaps and solutions

Plastic waste is a steadily growing global environmental problem with far-reaching ecological, social and economic consequences. In particular, single-use plastic, which is discarded after a single use, contributes to the ever-increasing pollution of the terrestrial and marine environment with plastic. Small Island Developing States, such as the Maldives, are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution. To reduce plastic waste on the islands of the Maldives, the government decided in 2019 to phase out the use of single-use plastic by 2023.

On behalf of the European Union-funded SWITCH-Asia Sustainable Consumption Production Facility, adelphi advised and supported the Maldivian government in the implementation of this decision. To this end, the project team worked with key stakeholders to identify existing challenges and gaps in implementation. Against this backdrop, and based on the experiences of comparable, already existing initiatives in other countries, the project team developed proposals for instruments that help to overcome the existing challenges and gaps. Finally, adelphi advised and supported the Maldivian government in the development and implementation of one instrument, which is selected together with the government and key stakeholders.