Barbados became the latest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to ban the import, retail, sale and use of single use plastic products. Products such as single-use plastic cups, cutlery, stirrers, straws; plates, egg trays, and Styrofoam containers used in the culinary retail industry will be banned from April 1.
As of now, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda are among CARICOM countries that have already implemented or will implement a ban on the use of these plastic products.
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Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Minister, Kirk Humphrey, said the decision came after months of consultation with stakeholders, and that the ban on petro-based plastic bags was extended until January 1, 2020. This aims to enable manufacturers to come up with other ways of making plastic bags from a bio-based material that is environmentally healthy and friendly.
In addition, plastic bottles used in the production of juices will not be subjected to the ban. This happened because the necessary legislation had to be in place, to allow consumers to take the bottles back to the suppliers to be part of a recycling process.
