Policy responses to reduce single-use plastic marine pollution in the Caribbean

Abstract

Caribbean economies depend heavily on a healthy marine ecosystem, but the region includes ten of the top global marine polluters per capita. Regional marine pollution is driven by illegal plastic waste dumping due to poor waste management systems with limited recycling, and weak enforcement. Governments recognize the impacts of marine debris on their social and economic well-being and have responded with policies to curb plastic pollution. Most focus on bans of single-use plastic and polystyrene, which comprises ~80% of Caribbean marine litter. However, there is little comparative analysis of policy responses to determine their efficacy. This paper reviews current policies in 13 English-speaking Caribbean countries, exploring tools used and process of implementation. Eleven have introduced legislative policies, with seven including fines and penalties for non-compliance. All successful policies involve multiple tools, including primary stakeholder engagement, sufficient lead time between policy announcement and implementation, and extensive public education campaigns.

Keywords: Caribbean; Marine plastic pollution; Plastic bag policies; Plastic bags; Single-use plastics (SUPs).