Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government will be taking several steps to further reduce pollution from plastics and microplastics.
Making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday, (January 19, 2024), Minister Samuda highlighted that the steps would include the development of a National Policy on the Environmentally Sound Management of Single-Use Plastic products to be done this coming fiscal year.
“The Most Hon Prime Minister has announced, ahead of his Budget Debate, that he has directed that a programme aimed at the separation of plastics and other recyclables in all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, commence this fiscal year. We have also previously announced that we will be banning plastic lunch boxes and indeed Personal Care Products with microplastic beads and the target date for this ban is June 1, 2024. We have taken the lesson from the first round of the plastic ban as it relates to public education and need to give sufficient lead time”, he explained.
Minister Samuda noted that Jamaica currently collects over 30% of the plastic bottles produced monthly.
“We commend the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and Recycling Partners of Jamaica who have achieved this, up from 8 percent, three (3) years ago. But we are ambitious with our environmental targets. We are in a race against time to ensure we improve our waste management and one of the ways is to ensure we extract plastic waste from the waste stream. We will continue to work with stakeholders to determine the appropriate legislation necessary to achieve our goal”.
The goal, the Minister said, is not less than 70 percent of all plastic being produced monthly to be collected and recycled. He also noted that Jamaica is actively participating in negotiations towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
In the meantime, Minister Samuda stated that the government has been channeling its efforts to reduce pollution in other key areas.
He explained that the Government is currently pursuing amendments to several pieces of subsidiary legislation under the NRCA Act. They include the Air Quality Regulations and the Wastewater and Sludge Regulations.
Minister Samuda added that the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will be working with its agencies, including NEPA, in the promulgation of the long-outstanding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations under the NRCA Act in the Fiscal year.
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