‘Belize’s Plastic Ban is Not Working’

Plastic continues to overwhelm Belize’s waste stream, despite a national ban on single-use plastics now in force for more than five years.

New data from the 2025 TrashBlitz Belize Report show that nearly seven in ten items recorded during nationwide waste audits were plastic or plastic pairings. Volunteers logged 14,208 pieces of trash across 17 sites in all six districts, with food and drink packaging leading the count.

Bottled water waste stood out. Crystal Water bottles were the single most commonly recorded item, followed by other branded beverage containers. Plastic bags, caps, wrappers, and pouches also featured heavily in the data.

The results expose a gap between policy and reality. Belize banned single use plastics and Styrofoam in 2018, with updated regulations in 2022. Yet, non-compliant items continue to circulate, and plastic consumption keeps rising faster than the country’s waste systems can cope.

One participant described the programme as a call to action rather than a cleanup exercise.

“It’s important for us to gain knowledge and opportunities to act,” said Shanda Sainsbury, Senior Field Representative, Oceana Belize. “Through this initiative and collaborating with Sea of Life, it has shown me how we can all be powerful stewards of our environment, creating positive change for our communities and future generations.”

The report calls for refill systems to replace bottled water in institutions and businesses, a total ban on plastic bags, and national monitoring of microplastics, measures it says are critical for a country built on reefs, rivers and tourism.

The audits were led by Sea of Life through its TrashBlitz citizen science programme, which brings schools, NGOs and community groups into a standardised system for tracking litter. According to the report, more than 650 people took part between January and March 2025.