The impacts of plastic waste on the environment and our health are global, drastic and countries around the world are enforcing plastic bans. As the call to end single-use plastics gets louder, the nation of St Kitts and Nevis is moving ahead with its plan to combat plastic pollution and promote a healthy environment. The world now produces more than 380 million tons of plastic every year, which could end up as pollutants entering the natural environment and oceans.
According to Statista, plastics accounted for 12 percent of the municipal solid waste generated in the U.S. in 2018, however just 8.7 percent of the volume of plastic waste was recycled that year. Last year, St Kitts and Nevis' Department of Environment commenced a series of consultations with relevant stakeholders in the proposal to ban single-use plastics in the country.
The stakeholder meeting was attended by representatives from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Small Business Development Center, the Ministry of International Trade, Solid Waste Management Corporation, the Ministry of Environment and Cooperatives, and Ital Creations. The next round of consultations will continue with the private sector this year.
The country's Ministry of Tourism and Sustainable Destination Council (SDC) joined forces in advocating for the ban of single-use plastics in 2018 and started an initiative called Plastic Free July. The initiative aims to educate citizens on the ways plastic pollution threatens marine life, personal health, and the islands’ tourism product.
St Kitts and Nevis' rules on single-use plastic products aim to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, particularly the marine environment, and human health.
