Cabinet’s approval moves Cayman toward plastic ban

Premier and Minister of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency, Hon. Wayne Panton said Cabinet’s approval is an important milestone in the effort to implement a single-use plastics ban.

“Cabinet’s decision brings the Cayman Islands one step closer to a single-use plastics ban. Plastic pollution is a serious, global issue requiring international cooperation to address, and the Cayman Islands is stepping up to the challenge by doing our part to reduce our collective consumption of single-use plastic items,” he said.

The premier explained that “Throughout this process, the Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency has been working in close collaboration with Customs and Border Control to conduct targeted engagement with private and public sector representatives on this matter. Once the prohibition order is published, there will be a transitional period of twelve months to help businesses adapt. We are pleased to see so many local businesses who are already taking steps to provide plastic-free alternatives and increase their recycling.”

Cabinet’s decision approves the agencies to work with the Legislative Drafting Department to begin crafting the necessary changes to relevant legislation.

The ban will initially target eight single-use plastic items:

-Small plastic grocery check-out bags;

-Plastic individual-use straws;

-Plastic stir sticks;

-Polystyrene cups;

-Plastic chopsticks;

-Plastic helium-filled balloons and related balloon sticks;

-Sky lanterns; and

-Polystyrene clamshell food containers.

The ban will come into effect no sooner than 12 months from the date the Prohibition Order is published in the Gazette.

The Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency said it will share more detailed timelines as the legal drafting process advances.