The Maldives' First Plastic Recycling Facility

Part of the Plastic Innovation Challenge for the hospitality and foodservice sector, this fully-funded pilot established the Maldives' first plastic recycling facility at Siyam World Maldives — using a circular economy solution by Econscious.

The facility uses shredder, mixer and extrusion machines to process plastic waste and convert it into lumber and finished products such as benches — demonstrating that resort plastic waste can be transformed into durable, usable goods rather than shipped off-island or sent to landfill.

The pilot was supported by UNOPS, funded by the World Bank, and implemented by SACEP under the PLEASE Project. Climate Collective Foundation served as knowledge partner. The initiative also partnered with Kudafaree Council, ensuring community-level engagement alongside the hospitality sector.

Six major hospitality groups — Anantara, Oaga, Siyam Group, Crossroads, Adaaran and Solite — were consulted during the design of the challenge, creating the foundation for sector-wide replication.