DOE: Shilling Wata Ban Not Off the Table, But Consultation Comes First

The Department of the Environment (DOE) has responded to growing calls for a ban on single-use water pouches in Belize, and the answer is not a yes or a no. It is a “process.”

Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai told News 5 that before any decision can be made, the department must consult with all 36 companies currently importing water pouches into Belize.

“A decision like this cannot be made solely by the Department of Environment because, again, it wouldn’t be transparent,” Mai said. “And so we plan to meet with the key stakeholders that are involved with importing and manufacturing these products… We need to meet with each one of them, present the idea, try to understand how this will impact their internal processes, and then collect all the information and make a final determination.”

Mai also confirmed that manufacturers have been given until December 2026 to meet Belize’s existing standard requiring plastic products to contain at least 50% biodegradable material, a deadline the department considers reasonable given the investment involved.

The response comes after a coalition of more than 40 organisations formally submitted a proposal calling for a phased three-year national ban on the pouches, which the group describes as one of Belize’s most visible and unmanageable sources of plastic pollution.

Water pouches were not included in Belize’s 2022 plastic ban, which covered cups, straws, plates, and some plastic bags.