It is comforting to note that
Environment Minister, Hon. Dwayne Seymour, is committed to take
action on plastics being used in the Cayman Islands.

This was in response to the protest by
students last Friday (24) on the steps of the Government
Administration Building.

Minister Seymour was reported as
saying, “It’s not just as simple as hearing comments from someone
or getting protest from someone, and then acting on it the next day.
There’s a lot of illegal revocation around this and international
revocations that we have to abide by and research. So I am committed
to this obviously.”

Aha.

So the commitment is divided.
Obviously, the illegal revocation around this and international
revocations will be committed to first.

Therefore, students, do not expect much
action, quickly.

Recently, Hurley's announced they were
doing away with plastic bags at their store. Plastic straws have been
banned at a number of our bars and restaurants.

It does sound so promising. It's not.

Have you noticed how much packaging in
our stores is plastic? Not just the thin plastic being used in bags
and straws. The heavy, thick plastic that you have to get a knife to
help you open it.

I've not seen any announcements even
remotely dealing with that problem.

Therefore, doing away with plastic
straws and bags isn't going to make a ha'pence of difference.

In 2018 381 million tonnes of plastic
was produced world wide.

No matter what we do it is the
manufacturers and goods producers who must change their attitude to
using plastic as their number one source for packaging. Their linear
model in which items are designed to be thrown away immediately after
use, sometimes after just seconds, must end.

Policymakers and governments worldwide must safeguard precious environmental resources and indeed public health by encouraging sustainable production and consumption through legislation.

To stem the rising tide of single-use plastics, we need government leadership and in some cases strong intervention.

Unless we actively campaign for the
above banning plastic straws and bags will not work. The first step
must come from the private sector and we also must change our habit
of buying products encased in plastic.