Dominica well on its way to implementing Styrofoam and plastic ban

Careen Prevost, PS in Ministry responsible for the Environment. File photo

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry responsible for the Environment, Careen Prevost, has said Dominica is well on its way to ban the use of Styrofoam and plastic items in the New Year.

The ban is part of the government’s vision of making Dominica the first climate resilient country in the world.

 “In the 2018/2019 budget address, the Prime Minister announced that in keeping with our vision to become the world’s first climate resilient country, Dominica will be taking certain measures to protect our environment and keep Dominica clean and green as the nature isle,” she stated. “So, one of these measure would be a ban on importation of plastics that are used in the food service industry as a start with effect from January 1st 2019.”

According to Prevost, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal has been working along with the other partners and stakeholders in the industry and has made recommendations to Cabinet to which Cabinet has approved.

She said some of these recommendations will include a reduction in the duties or application of zero percent duties on biodegradable alternatives to use of plastics in the food service.

“Also an application of 0% duty on reusable shopping bags and that we believe is a step in the right direction which will assist in reducing the cost of the biodegradable alternatives,” Prevost stated.

Meantime, she said the ministry, along with customs and trade, has met with the importers and are currently in the process of meeting with the stakeholders in the food service industry.

“We have a series of community meetings as well, which we will be holding over the next few weeks, along with radio programmes and a public awareness campaign including a social media campaign and all other forms of media,” she revealed.

“But basically what we are trying to do is to work along with the stakeholders, DAIC, DHTA, the Ministry of Commerce, Invest Dominica Authority and all of the partners both in the private and public sector to bring the awareness about the plastic ban and also to ensure that individuals are prepared, they are ready and understand what the alternatives are,” Prevost added.

She said further that the ministry is encouraging everyone to start the process right now, “don’t wait for January…”

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14 Comments

  1. Pragmatik
    December 20, 2018

    What I don’t understand is what this has to do with climate resilience. As far as I understand this stupid buzzword is supposed to mean the ability to respond to and recover from the impacts of climate change. Dominica is literally a drop in the global ocean. Banning these goods will just make life more difficult for people here and will have next to zero impact on the climate at the end of the day.

    But even if it did, how does banning plastic and styrofoam help us to recover from disasters? Will this ban make it easier to build back our bridges? Or make our roads safer and more resistant against storm damage? Will this ban ensure that people have strong homes to weather out the storms?

    I’m sorry but this just sounds like a silly gimmick but people will eat it up because everyone is a conservationist. Nobody will give up their cars or plane rides though lmao

  2. walking the line
    December 20, 2018

    application of zero percent duties on biodegradable alternatives to use of plastics in the food service.

    you do know that those so called biodegradable plastics are theoretically bad for the environment? do u prefer stable plastics that sit in the ground and do nothing and can be recycled into rot resistant benches or the so called biodegradable stuff that rot and produce methane ( which is a green house gas) by the way the biodegradable stuff only rots away in the presence of oxygen and with genetically engineered bacteria so when u bury it, it will just sit in the ground like the normal plastic. plus the genetically engineered bacteria does not survive underground so when u bury the stuff expecting it to biodegrade it just sits there and looks at u

    plus is the gov of dca also going to imports tons and tons of the bacteria on a yearly basis?

    and when i buy a hot braf in town what am i going to put it in to go home ? do i have to walk with my pyrex everywhere i going

    • Pipo
      December 20, 2018

      Eh garcon, every time you passing a wind or do a big job you producing methane too. You want us to make fewer new people in the world., I would support that.

  3. carltymas
    December 20, 2018

    This is a great initiative. Hopefully, it will help with the issue we have with littering. Awaiting the next action to be taken in our plans to resiliency.

  4. Iamanidiot
    December 20, 2018

    Me drinking from a plastic straw isnt what is damaging the environment, how about minimizing fossil fuels? Get rid of those old vehicles that was around in the times of my great great great grand father whose smoke black like tar and reduce the duty on green or newer vehicles that a bit more enviro friendly?
    Banning straws, about all that we can do.

    • carltymas
      December 20, 2018

      From what I gathered at the address, there are steps and plans in this initiative that will be announced as time progresses. Things are to be done one step at a time, we must not just rush head first into situations. The first is to mitigate the littering problem (littering of mainly plastics and styrofoam). It is also very cost effective to encourage reuse. I see some restaurants encouraging people to bring along their own bowls. Reusable shopping bags are also cost-effective especially if we can encourage persons to walk with their bags. I rarely see old model vehicles being imported and minimizing fossil fuels may be more difficult and costly to accomplish. Let’s take this one step at a time coming from Maria.

  5. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    December 19, 2018

    What is the big deal about that?

    Who cares? Wow many people in the country are making their living by importing Styrofoam and plastic into the country, such products are not that great of an issue as much as the chemical you all allow to be imported into the country to kill weeds!

    You use these weed killers, on plantations in the use of killing grass, when it rains the residue in the soil runs off into the rivers, and streams; hence when people drink the water it cause them to become victims of cancer!

    Some of the chemicals makes its way int our artisan Wells, which are the source of our drinking water; how are you and the one man government that Dr. Punjab  bubble doctor Roosevelt Skerrit are going to deal with that?

    He thinks  he is a medical doctor you know; telling people that 80% of sickness is in their mind!  An honorary degree is not a medical degree to practice medicine; he should be in jail!

  6. Harvey
    December 19, 2018

    Which one is more dangerous, the non-biodegradable products or the tear gas that’s full of dangerous chemicals? On one hand the government is prepared to poison the population with the importation of chemical weapons such as teargas and on the other they are trying to protect the environment.
    God help Dominica with the insults from its leaders.

    • Pipo
      December 20, 2018

      They are both bad Harvey and you know that. We do not have to chose between the two o.k?

  7. Dominican
    December 19, 2018

    Careen, this is a good initiative but I gather from your comments that no orders are in place to prohibit the importation of non-degradable packaging, such as plastic bags, and polystyrene containers used in the food catering industry by 1 Jan. 2019, as promised by our P.M. in his last budget address. I appreciate that this may presents a problem for the importers concerned, who see their business negatively impacted and who may have problems sourcing affordable alternatives but that should have been addressed before giving such an undertaking in parliament. If talks are still ongoing and nothing has been resolved the promise by our P.M. is rather hollow. Notwithstanding your efforts, which I believe to be sincere, we need confirmation that the P.M.’s undertaking has been fulfilled.

  8. Neville
    December 19, 2018

    That’s about all this government can do and is capable of. Oh hold up, they are also good of sending Skerrits private army to arrest innocent citizen and throwing tear gas at innocent protesters!

    • don2fresh
      December 20, 2018

      Everytime you all say the government doesn’t do anything, I get excited because I am always eager to list all the programme and projects government have done in the last 15 years that have helped in education, agriculture, infrastructure, health, employment, social welfare, and entrepreneurship. Just ask me which area you want me to cover or you want me to start listing some? You all may not agree with the people but stop speak like they’re not doing anything. They doing more than protesting and encouraging people to disobey the law and disrupt the place or burn it down or throw stones or trying to stop investment from coming into our country and embarrassing us on an international and regional level. They not just there taking shots at people and doing nothing to help build the country.
      Where was your party shortly after Maria hit? The only reason why they are there now is to start problems and criticize.

      • RandyX
        December 20, 2018

        What are they doing in the great scheme of things when people are still without a proper roof over their head?? Nothing, absolutely nothing! Furthermore, as usual they are talking about but doing is different. But for you that’s good enough. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are one of the many parasites.

      • don2fresh
        December 21, 2018

        RandyX you realize Maria was only a year ago? You realize over 90% of our infrastructure was affected right most of which weren’t insured? A matter a fact you realize not only infrastructure was damaged right ? You remember we were recovering from Maria? A.A. You notice we don’t have a motherland to breastfeed us, man? You trying to squeeze blood out of stone for no particular reason other than beating Skerrit. I used to pass in certain areas and see houses just their abandoned and ruined after David and Maria was far worse than David. Stop your nonsense and be reasonable and rational. You calling people a parasite but here you are on EVERYBODY’S coming you don’t agree with spewing venomous words and accusations. Put the computer to sleep and use the dark screen as a mirror, my friend. Reflect, WOOSSAAAHHH

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