The presentation of a document outlining steps for St. Maarten to enforce a ban on single-use plastic bags (see related story) is most welcome. One only has to take a drive around the island to notice many such discarded bags polluting the landscape.
An additional problem is that they are often blown into shrubs and trees by the wind, making it hard for even roadside clean-up crews to reach them. Lots of bags also end up in the sea, where they have proven to be detrimental to marine life.
With a clear guide and package that includes draft legislation Parliament no longer has any excuses for not acting. The wheel doesn’t have to be reinvented either, as plenty other countries like Aruba have taken similar measures.
There may be some resistance from within the business community, but the experience worldwide is that consumers will quickly get accustomed to the new situation. As a matter of fact, several local supermarkets and other stores have already stopped giving out throw-away bags in favour of reusable ones.
When it comes to the Nature Foundation’s petition regarding the dump signed by some 1,800 residents, things are not that straightforward. Much has been said about a possible waste-to-energy plant but also garbage separation and recycling in the past several decades, but so far with very little result.
