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Barbados Declares Complete Ban on Single-use Plastics With Effect From 2020

Barbados has become the latest Caribbean country to announce ban on single-use plastic products. The announcement to this effect was made during a joint press conference by Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey, and Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod. It must be noted that Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda have either imposed or are in the process of instituting such a ban.

Accordingly, the importation, retail, sale and usage of single-use plastics made from petroleum will be banned effective April 1, 2019. The ban will cover products made from petroleum such as single-use plastic cups; cutlery, including plastic knives, forks and spoons; stirrers; straws; plates; egg trays- both plastic and styrofoam, and Styrofoam containers used in the culinary retail industry.

In the second phase of the ban, Barbados aims total prohibition of petro-based plastics with effect from January 1, 2020, as part of efforts to achieve its goal of becoming fossil-free by 2030. The extension period is to allow manufacturers to come up with alternative ways of making plastic bags from bio-based materials including paper and sugarcane.

Meantime, those bags used for packaging of pharmaceuticals/ medicines, hygiene and the preservation of food are exempted from the ban. Also exempted are plastic bottles used in the production of juices.