Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Single-use plastics policy meeting cancelled

Single-use plastics policy meeting cancelled

Local environmental groups have expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the second meeting of the government-initiated single-use plastic steering committee and the absence of a rescheduled date
The meeting had been originally scheduled for Wednesday, 11 Dec., but according to a joint Plastic Free Cayman and Protect Our Future statement last week, the meeting was cancelled earlier that day until further notice by a Ministry of Health representative, due to insufficient numbers to make up a quorum.

The steering committee was established by Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour, who committed to look at ways to address plastic pollution and local dependence on single-use plastics. Plastic Free Cayman questioned government’s commitment to addressing environmental concerns about the widespread use of plastics.

The group said that a list of members shows 29 representatives form the committee and 13 people had committed to attend, including three volunteers from Plastic Free Cayman.

The first of the two meetings was also cancelled and later rescheduled.

“PFC has not received any minutes from the first meeting, nor was an agenda circulated for the second. As yet, no clear mission statement, goals, responsibilities or action points have been set out for the committee. Neither has any documentation been provided which indicates how the chosen stakeholders were selected, how decisions are made or what number of members are required to make up a quorum,” the group said in its statement.

The Cayman Compass reached out to the Ministry of Environment for comment on the delayed meeting, but had not received a response by press time.

The group, which is leading the charge to have single-use plastics banned in Cayman, said “government is clearly falling behind the region in policy implementation on single-use plastics”.

It pegged this on what it called a lack of government will.

“A multitude of international organisations provide readily available online resource tools to assist policymakers. Global agencies, such as the United Nations, have made publicly available reports, recommendations, guidelines and resources to assist local governments tackle this planet-wide plastic crisis,” the group said in its statement.

It said its ‘345 Plastic Free Pledge’ is garnering support in the community. Those who take the pledge commit to live a more plastic-free life.

Plastic pollution continues to be an issue plaguing local shorelines.

“On 7 Dec., 25 volunteers attended PFC’s monthly beach clean-up, removing 500 lbs of trash from Colliers Beach in East End in under two hours, with most of it in the form of plastic bottles and Styrofoam. On-island visitors passing the group clean-up effort Saturday morning were quick to thank the volunteers but did not hesitate to share their horror at the unsightly litter covering Cayman’s beaches,” the group said.

It said government’s “passive stance on this serious matter is extremely alarming”.

The group pointed out that American Academy of Pediatrics has issued warnings that toxic chemicals used for food packaging can interfere with a child’s hormones, growth and development.

“Life-long health problems, such as changing the time of puberty, affecting male genitalia development, decreasing fertility, affecting nervous and immune systems, increasing childhood obesity and contributing to cardiovascular disease, are only some of the serious health effects of chemical exposure from food packaging highlighted by the AAP,” the group said as it pressed the need for action.

According to the United Nations Caribbean Environment Programme, 21 countries in the wider Caribbean have single-use plastic bans already in place.

For the Protect Our Future students, a firm resolution on plastics cannot come soon enough.

“The world will begin to see our island as underdeveloped and not environmentally friendly. Is this what we want? Other Caribbean islands have already completed this process.

Banning single-use plastics will protect our environment, look better for our island, and could even become a source of income. If fines are implemented onto people that bring single-use plastics onto our island, this money could then be invested back into our communities,” said Protect Our Future member Ben Somerville
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×