Reading that government is awaiting budget assistance to finalise the proposed single-use plastic law before it can proceed through the remaining approval stages (see Thursday newspaper) was a bit disappointing, to say the least. Prime Minister Luc Mercelina said they had received subsidy support from third parties to help advance the legislation and were pending additional means to complete details of the national ordinance.
Once finalised, it must go to the Advisory Council before returning to the Council of Ministers and then proceeding on to Parliament. Governor Ajamu Baly had announced in September last year during his constitutionally mandated address at the opening of the 2025-2026 legislative year that the bill for a Plastic Free St. Maarten would be sent to Parliament for deliberation by the end of 2025. This has not yet been realised.
Formally presented by the St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) on March 19 last year, it was called a key milestone in the Plastic Free SXM project, which aimed to reduce plastic waste and strengthen environmental sustainability. Plastic Free SXM ran from 2023 to February 2025, with financial backing from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), a European Union (EU) initiative executed by Expertise France.
Although one understands the desirability of outside funding for such an endeavour, current President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and others have championed the issue since 2008. This led to a National Ordinance in 2020 prohibiting the sale of single-use plastic bags and straws.
However, it was never implemented because enforcement proved challenging due to manpower required for inspections. The new legislative framework adds mechanisms such as an import and distribution ban. Apart from polystyrene food containers, single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and plastic stirrers, plastic cutlery, plates, bowls and cups are to be included later.
There will be a so-called “phase-out approach” to ensure a smooth transition. During talks with wholesalers on the import ban a “fair timeline” was also mentioned.
That’s all good and well, but 18 years have now passed since elected representatives first addressed this matter, so it can’t take forever either. After all, the country is hardly getting any cleaner in the meantime.
