The Tribune

If Minister of Environment and Housing Romauld ‘Romi’ Ferreira accomplishes nothing more in his five-year term of office, he will still have had a remarkable impact on the future of The Bahamas through his single act of banning single-use plastics by 2020. Ferreira made the announcement during a press conference along with the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation on April 23.

Naturally, the Bahamian people have a right to expect him to do more including tackling climate change, sensitising residents to the importance of solar energy, getting the dump under proper control and management, cleaning up Clifton and the southwest bays, instilling a sense of pride especially among young people in their surroundings, putting an end to unregulated mechanics’ and vehicle repair businesses unwittingly depositing oil in the ground poisoning nearby ground water. His is one of the most critical of all ministries to the future of our quality of life. But nothing will make more of a dramatic long-term impact than the move to ban single use plastics and for that we give him full marks and our full support.

Banning single-use plastics includes Styrofoam containers, water and beverage bottles, packing bags as used by food stores, pharmacies and many other retailers, cups, plates, straws, forks, knives, spoons and condiment containers.

Many businesses have already made the switch from plastic to re-usable or plant-based, biodegradable paper products. From major campaigns like those at Island House and Sandals Royal Bahamian which converted to plant-based containers among other initiatives, to smaller establishments like the Kitchen Deli on Shirley Street that no longer offers plastic straws unless requested and posts signs sensitising the public, the movement has begun gaining traction in Nassau and Grand Bahama. With the exception of Abaco, Family Islands appear, at least for the time being, to be less concerned though there are small resorts speckled throughout that understand the long-term costs associated with using and disposing of plastics.

Despite a general malaise, the pressure to support the plastics ban movement will mount as safe disposal becomes ever more troublesome. Progressive cities and nations around the world are confronting the issue and taking steps. In 2017, Kenya became the standard bearer for the single-use plastics ban movement passing legislation that made using, producing or selling a plastic bag a crime punishable by up to four years in prison or payment of a $38,000 fine. Since the UK began taxing single-use plastic bags in 2015, nine billion fewer bags are in circulation. Most recently, the UK announced it will ban, though with certain exemptions, plastic microbeads found in many pharmaceuticals, soaps, cleaners and cosmetics.

One of the most clever marketing campaigns is a ban on plastic straws in the state of Washington called Strawless in Seattle, a play on words from the movie title Sleepless in Seattle.

Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Montreal, Malibu, Hamburg (Germany) and France all have some form of single-use plastic ban. It is not surprising The Bahamas is not in the lead but given the threat to our waters, our greatest geographical feature, we cannot afford to wait.

No one questions the convenience of a bag that you can take home from the food store and toss in the trash. There is no need to remember to carry assorted bags with you, take them from vehicle to store, pass them to the individual packing what you purchased, cart them home, clean them if anything spilled or there was a raw meat package, dry them, store them and do it all over again. But individual ease of convenience pales by comparison to collective environmental responsibility. We once thought seat belts were inconvenient.

Success in the campaign for compliance will depend on awareness and a good public education program. A single plastic bag of the grocery store variety takes 1,000 years to break down completely. Styrofoam containers have a 500-year half-life, meaning it will take 500 years before half the container is back into nature. Microbeads are the most dangerous because the particles are so small that whether burned or blown through the air they often end up being swallowed by birds, turtles or fish, either killing them or becoming part of our food supply. Increases of certain diseases, including kidney issues, have been linked to increases in plastics as part of our lifestyle.

International statistics tell us that eight million metric tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans every year where they remain for up to a century. That is the equivalent of a full dump truck of plastic every minute. In the US, which accounts for four percent of the world’s population, 500 million plastic straws are used every day. It has been estimated that in less than a decade, the ratio of plastic to fish populations will be one to three, one ton of plastic trash for every three tons of fish. At that rate, trash will eventually outweigh fish.

In the environment minister’s words, “Like other small island developing states, our marine environment is an integral part of our island lifestyle. Due to our location, it is also expected that we will inherit unwanted marine debris as a result of ocean currents and wave patterns, adding a compounding impact to our tourism and fishing industries… As my Ministry works diligently to develop effective solutions for landfills and scattered dumpsites throughout The Bahamas, we must also address the type of waste we dispose of – on a daily basis. By reducing or even eliminating harmful waste streams, we will move this country one step closer to have an efficient and sustainable waste management plan.”

This is one issue that cannot afford to be politicised. Let us get on with the education campaign and a successful ban on single-use plastics and protect our marine resources, our beautiful seas and our future.