Per capita, the Maldives leaks 3.7kg of plastic waste into the sea, compared with 0.03kg per person in the EU. This island nation is known for its pristine waters, which drives tourism and the fishing industry. However, the rise in single-use plastic waste is threatening people’s health, livelihoods and deep connection with nature.

In 2018, Common Seas supported the Maldivian Government to map and analyse the country’s unique plastic waste problem, which led directly to President’s Solih public commitment to phase out problem plastics by 2023. Since then, we have been supporting the Maldives to deliver its Single-Use Plastic Phase-Out Plan, which could reduce the amount of plastic entering Maldivian waters by 75%.

Our support includes technical advice and guidance on water filters and fountains to reduce dependency on plastic bottled water, along with design and implementation advice on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for plastic drinks bottles.

With the launch of PlasTICK, we’ll give the Maldives’ hospitality sector an intuitive and accessible tool to report on and reduce its use of single-use plastic. We’re also providing our education resources, Plastic Clever Schools, as well as offering strategic and operational communications support to raise awareness and create widespread appetite for change.

To find out more about Common Seas’ on-the-ground work, explore our website or check out these case studies from Indonesia and Greece.