Cayman Islands Considers Ban on Single-use Plastics

The Single-Use Plastics Stakeholder Committee is recommending legislation to ban certain single-use plastics in the Cayman Islands. The legislation, which is slated to take effect in 2021, would ban items like single-use shopping bags, plastic straws, plastic stirrers, plastic cotton swabs and Styrofoam takeout containers, according to a report by Loop News.

This legislation, along with others up for consideration, would help the Cayman Islands reduce the 5,106 tonnes of plastic waste it generates annually.

Loop News has more information:

After three meetings, the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Stakeholder Committee is in agreement to recommend restrictive legislation on certain single-use plastics in the Cayman Islands.

The new law which is projected to be effective from January 2021 will be based on a proposal that is expected to include legislation to restrict certain single-use plastic items such as: single-use check out shopping bags, polystyrene take away containers, plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and plastic cotton swabs. The SUP Committee, led by the Honourable Dwayne Seymour and Honourable Joseph Hew, will continue to actively consider whether other single-use plastic items will be subject to legislation. 

The SUP Committee also intends to look into the effects of possibly banning other plastics (e.g. polystyrene or expanded foam products), as well as to identify reasonable, practical alternative products that can be imported in place of the items that are proposed to be banned.

Read the full story here.