Underlining its role as the Caribbean's leading environmentally-aware nation, Aruba has announced a total ban on all single-use plastic from next year.
The Dutch Caribbean island's government made a landmark decision in 2017 to ban all single use plastic bags and, encouraged by the impact that move had, has now extended it to include such everyday items as plastic cups and straws and Styrofoam boxes, such as disposable coolers. The ban is effective in 2019, with a one-year transition period to a total ban in 2020.
And in a further ground-breaking move, the island's Ministry of Environment has announced that sunscreens containing oxybenzone will also be prohibited in Aruba. A transition phase starts next year, with a full ban in place by 2020.
Coral reefs around the world, including along Aruba's coastlines, are suffering from
