Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 22, 2021 (SKNIS): Plastics are harmful to the environment as they are non-biodegradable and take years to break down, thus contaminating soil and water in the process, said Biosafety Officer in the Ministry of Environment, Vicia Woods.
“They are a danger to human health and the environment because when these plastics… are improperly disposed of and because they don’t break down immediately, they break apart into smaller pieces known as micro-plastics. When these micro-plastics make their way into the ocean, into the lakes, they become a part of our food chain,” said Ms. Woods during her April 21 appearance on ‘Working for You’. “Because the marine life consumes these tiny pieces of plastics, when we eat these marine species we, in turn, consume not only the species but also the toxins that they hold.”
Ms. Woods said that hazardous chemicals can be found in single-use plastic food wrappings and containers which have direct contact with the food humans consume and that these chemicals may be introduced into the body.
“Plastics also have been found in the blood tissues of human beings because the toxins leach out into the system of humans and they become a part of us. These plastics in our systems have been linked to various ailments,” she said, while referencing styrene, an organic compound used to make Styrofoam. “It has been labelled as a possible carcinogen… and what that simply means is that it is a cancer-causing material, and because we use Styrofoam so often in our daily lives, each time we buy food, we take them in the Styrofoam containers. As these containers heat up, they release toxins so we consume them as well,” Ms. Woods added.
She noted that because of the harmful effects plastics have on the environment and human health, the ban on single-use plastics becomes even more necessary. Ms. Woods added that banning single-use plastics will reduce marine and land-based plastic pollution, as well as reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 07, 2020 (SKNIS): Plastics are putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities. Against this backdrop, the Department of Environment is pushing to ban single-use plastics in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The Department of Environment submitted a proposal to the Members of Cabinet to impose a ban on plastics. This ban will take place in a three-phased approach over a period of five years. A phased approach means that the ban won’t be immediate or abrupt as it will take place in phases,” said Vicia Woods, Biosafety Officer in the Department of Environment during her July 06 appearance on the Ministry of Tourism’s Plastic Free July Panel Discussion on ZIZ Television.
The first phase will include public awareness and education outreach followed by a ban on importation.
“So, in this way suppliers will be able to use whatever they have in stock, but they will no longer be allowed to import. And then, later on, there will be a ban on the sales and distribution of plastics,” she said. “Although the legislation has not been passed as yet, the Department of Environment has taken it upon themselves to start with the public awareness and education outreach. Late last year into this year, we conducted a survey just to get the public’s reaction and get the attention to this issue that we are trying to raise.”
Ms. Woods said that once the legislation is passed the first item on the agenda would be to ban the use of plastic straws.
“One of the first items we are seeking to ban is plastic straws because as small as they may be they cause a significant threat to life, especially marine life,” she said, while commending the private sector for personally banning plastic straws within their businesses, “Even without this ban, restaurants and bars are already moving towards the paper straws, so that is a good initiative on the private sector.”
The Biosafety Officer also commended those who took the initiative to purchase their own stainless steel metal straws, noting that these straws can be used multiple times.
Single-use plastics is described as plastics that are meant to be discarded of immediately after use. Such include plastic straws, styrofoam containers and food wrappers to name a few.
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