Single-Use Plastic Crackdown Back on Cabinet’s Table

The Government of Belize is going back to Cabinet with its single-use plastic regulations. A 2022 Statutory Instrument legislated a phased-out approach to single use plastic in Belize. The regulatory approach was accompanied by widespread public consultation. But, despite the S.I., consultations and government-led assessments, GOB has found that regulations in place need strengthening. Plastic material that does not comply with the set standards is still entering the country. Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, told us more about it earlier this week.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“The plastic pollution is coming back to the cabinet. We have been doing some improvements and amendments. Recall that we have passed the plastic regulations and we did an assessment two years later. All indications are that we have to strengthen it because we are still having imports of, plastic material that do not comply with the standards that have been set. So that has to be revamped and looked at how we can strengthen that, but the main thing now is that Belize, the Department of Environment now has the equipment to do the testing, which we didn’t have before, but it would be unfair in a way or biased in a way. If the department who is the regulator does the test to see if you are compliant. So what we did was we got the same equipment for the University of Belize. So University of Belize, we will be doing the testing as a third party so it shows no bias.”