Tiny Dominica waging big war against plastic

Dominica has announced an aggressive ban on many single-use plastic and Styrofoam products in an effort to preserve its natural landscapes.

Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of the Caribbean nation, addressed Dominica’s ongoing restoration efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the region last year, saying the ban would provide aid to those efforts.

"Dominica prides itself as the ‘Nature Isle’. We must in every way deserve and reflect that designation," he said during a budget address in July.

"The issue of solid waste management affects that perception and we continue to grapple with it."

"We must rebuild and reset our society and economy and protect our environment in order to achieve a new, more resilient Dominica," Skerrit continued.

Dominica joined a list of nations and companies phasing out the use of plastic straws, from New Zealand and Australia, to Starbucks and Disney.

The ban comes into effect in January 2019.

However, unlike many other nations’ bans on plastic straws, Dominica has taken theirs a step further, also banning plastic forks, plates and knives, along with Styrofoam containers and cups.

A full list of all the products included in the ban will be announced at a later date, the prime minister said.

This undertaking to fight plastic pollution and become climate-resilient complements the country’s aim to better protect itself from natural disasters.

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, which is still grappling with the humanitarian and economic effects of the disaster.

“Extreme weather events are now more frequent and intense, brought on by climate change impacts that are real, visible, devastating and unrelenting,” Skerrit said.

“We must rebuild and reset our society and economy and protect our environment in order to achieve a new, more resilient Dominica.”