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Ban Plastic Then This..........

Ariana Marshall
Apr 27, 2017
3 min read

Any ban on plastic or Styrofoam will not be effective if we think we can just wave a wand and say - "Tada! This happened and we are done".

Even though a ban on these materials is a start which demonstrates our green intentions, it only makes a difference when we work on how we can make - plastic less appealing, biodegradable products more available and using recycled products more convenient.

Better yet, if the private sector leads this green economy shift, our governments will have all of the evidence they need to improve both governmental incentives for sustainable companies and Caribbean waste management.

Making a difference through Caribbean Business

In Barbados

With the longest history of making rum, it is a given that Mount Gay Distilleries (MGD) has already applied sustainability into their company’s operations. Glass is recycled and recycled bourbon/whisky barrels from Kentucky are a key component in the aged profile of their rum.

But let’s never call their rum green, that is an insult which means that their rum isn’t mature.

MGD has already integrated sustainability into their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and employee well-being initiatives. Last year MGD launched staff greening team projects to - set up a greenhouse, provide waste bins for their neighbours, plant trees and tend to beehives on their farm.

Mount Gay Distilleries - 314th Anniversary Celebration and Clean and Green Launch in partnership with Better Caribbean (Barbados - February 20, 2017).

This year employees made and distributed packages of seedlings in biodegradable (and recycled) containers to start their home gardens. Employees were also given reusable glass bottles and food containers to reduce their plastic use. MGD also announced a ban on Styrofoam – on their property for employee food containers and in their business operations. They have also began to reduce plastic use, replace Styrofoam in their visitor’s centre which serves food, donate biodegradable food ware to a nearby food vendor and influence governmental policy on Styrofoam and all Expanded Polystyrene.

In Trinidad

Cassava Root

The Organization for American States has funded projects to evaluate the economic impact of Styrofoam use and explore sustainable manufacturing. There have also been Trinidad-based experimental projects on how farmers can reuse cassava waste for biodegradable projects. Most recently, Dwight De Leon was featured for how his company is setting out to change the plastic industry not only by providing biodegradable plastic options but also selling additives which can speed up Styrofoam degradation.

Making it happen with Caribbean expertise

Fostering local expertise to transition to a green economy is invaluable because it is about understanding both Caribbean business culture, consumption patterns and trends in decision-making.

Understanding and following global trends is great but regardless we must always act local.

Clearly this is the missing link to why our islands are still facing so much Styrofoam and plastic.

We need to better understand our culture of consumption in order to change behaviours.

This is necessary to make green economy options more convenient than the throw-away society option, because there is no “away” especially when it comes to Caribbean islands.

Look left then look right and two twos someone’s “throw away” waste ends up in your face, in your place, in front of your windshield, in your gutter and on your favourite beach.