Single-Use Plastic and Styrofoam Ban to Be
On Wednesday, Belize enacted the phase-out of single-use plastics and styrofoam through the Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulation 2020. The Minister of Environment signed that regulation into law which seeks to reduce plastic and styrofoam pollution through a phase-out process. According to the ministry, the regulation was put into place as a means of pollution control within terrestrial and marine spaces. The regulations have undergone months of legislative drafting and re-drafting, and according to the ministry, they have been subjected to an extensive consultation period with regulators and stakeholders from the private sector such as importers, manufacturers and producers of single-use plastics. Here’s more from the Minister of Environment Godwin Hulse.
Godwin Hulse
Godwin Hulse, Minister of Environment
“I don’t want people to be out there thinking that in fact government or the department of environment will be rushing them. We have to look at the concept and while we have legislated, the concept is to educate; to say, look, there has to be legislation but everybody knows by now that these single-use plastics find their ways into our water ways, our barrier reef; they mess up our facilities, etc. Phase out the styrofoam; phase out the single use plastics and try to introduce biodegradable stuff. There are a lot of companies looking at biodegradable materials and that is the gist of the legislation and where we are going.”
Reporter
“When will the law be enforced – when will be Belizeans be restricted?”
Godwin Hulse
“I think we have a year. We are looking at a year.”
Reporter
“What does this mean for business owners and producers of single-use plastics?”
Godwin Hulse
“Well, we’ve looked at that keenly particularly for the agriculture sector and so forth. Government is prepared to and has in some cases been reducing duties to mitigate that. But we don’t want the excuse that we can’t afford because we can’t afford to destroy. We have to find a way to deal with that and I think everybody in the nation will agree.”
