Cabinet to consider single-use plastics ban

A proposal to ban eight single-use plastic products is heading to Cabinet, according to the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency.

A ministry spokesperson told the Compass it is “in the process” of submitting a proposal and looks forward to being able to share more information “in the coming weeks”.

The first update in a year on a potential ban came after the ministry was asked to comment on an image of a green sea turtle eating plastic wrap in the water near Spotts Public Beach.

“Marine plastic pollution is a serious, global issue requiring international cooperation to address,” the spokesperson said in response.

“The Cayman Islands Government is taking steps to ensure the Cayman Islands is doing our part to reduce our collective consumption of single-use plastic items.”

As part of the process of building the proposal, the ministry conducted targeted engagement with private and public sector representatives, the spokesperson explained.

They added it has an important role to play in regulating single-use plastics and incentivising sustainable alternatives, but individuals and organisations can also help.

“Choose reusable items instead of single-use products, take advantage of existing recycling programmes, and dispose of waste responsibly and lawfully,” the ministry said.

Slow progress

In February 2020, a government-led stakeholder committee said it would be recommending legislation be implemented to ban five types of single-use plastics from January 2021.

These were single-use shopping bags, polystyrene takeaway containers, plastic straws, plastic stirrers and plastic cotton swabs.

But a month later, the project was put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Cayman Islands, and protecting the public’s health became the priority.

A year-and-a-half later, Premier Wayne Panton, in his first budget address in November 2021, said his new government was ready to move forward with the ban of single-use plastics.

“We do not believe in reinventing the wheel and will therefore resurrect the work previously done on that and move forward,” he said in Parliament.

In May 2022, the government revealed the ministry was preparing to re-form a steering committee to continue work on the plastics ban.

It would be designed “with updated and more focused terms of reference and a new timeline for providing recommendations to the Government”, a statement said.

It added the committee’s recommendations would be presented to Cabinet by the end of June 2022 with the ministry providing legislative drafting by the end of August last year.

Repeated requests from the Compass for an update on a potential ban since then have been unsuccessful.

‘Wonderful news’

Claire Hughes, founder of Plastic Free Cayman, told the Compass she was very happy to hear that progress had been made in eliminating certain plastics from the islands.

“After six years of campaigning, it’s wonderful news to hear that we are closer to banning some single-use plastic products,” she said.

“Thank you to the sustainability team who are working hard to push this through and thank you to the premier.

“However, this is by no means the only solution and we need to act with greater urgency on the devastating impact plastic pollution is having on our islands.”

The campaign group, which is focused on action, awareness and education, said the government now needs look at other methods of reducing plastic pollution.

These could include clean-ups, a bottle-return scheme, a plastic shredding facility, littering fines, and educational outreach, she said.

“We thank businesses for making changes by using reusable products or offering edible cutlery etc.,” Hughes said, but added that “without an industrial composter on island, the plant-based plastics are not the best alternatives”.