Ban on single-use plastic food containers takes effect

   

The fourth phase of the single-use plastic ban is in effect with import prohibitions on plastic food containers.

 

But, the ban excludes related transparent plastic lids until environmentally friendly alternatives become available.

 

The implementation period for this phase of the ban was extended by one month following concerns about inadequate stakeholder engagement and public education.

 

Minister with responsibility for the environment Matthew Samuda says local and international trade partners will on Monday be notified of the start of the implementation phase of the ban. 

 

"We formally will advise the World Trade Organization, we'll advise Customs of what are our trade policy changes because ultimately none of these items that we've targeted are actually manufactured in Jamaica. So what we'll do is curtail the imports of single-use plastic lunch containers and curtail the imports of microplastics. 

 

"But you don't start on day one because of the trade process. What you do is you advise the market formally, you do your sensitisation so that it's a six month run-up. But you start that implementation now, you cut imports, you let the trade run-off with the stock it has, so that by January 1 you're in a space where you're just not seeing these materials in the market," he noted. 

 

The minister was speaking Monday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica.

 

A further ban on cosmetic and personal care items, with intentionally added microplastics or plastic micro beads, is scheduled to take effect next year.