Dear Editor,

In September 2018 the Government made a move that many environmentalists had been clamouring for — to impose a ban on the manufacturing and importation of plastics to include single-use plastic carrier/shopping bags, expanded polystyrene foam, commonly referred to as styrofoam, and plastic drinking straws.

The damage being done to the environment by these items is well documented, but the questions that should be asked are:

* Is the impending ban the answer to the problem being faced or is just the band-aid method?

* Is this the be-all and end-all or are there more bans to come?

* What about the many plastic bottles that are seen acting as liners in our gullies and drains? When not acting as liners they are seen swimming faster than Alia Atkinson as they head out to sea.

As we imagine loads of plastics and polystyrene foam (styrofoam) flowing in our gullies it brings another question: Is it the ban that is needed or do we have a solid waste collection and disposal problem?

The use and need for plastics and styrofoam exist and will remain despite the restrictions being put in place. The Jamaican society will need to adjust and adapt, but to facilitate this adaptation alternatives are needed.

There hasn’t been much focus on viable alternatives, but common sense suggests that having viable alternatives will reduce the need and demand for plastic and plastic products.

On another note, paper is bio-degradable, and it is the view of many that paper-based products can fill the void left behind by the ban on plastics — problem solved!

But wait, time out, isn’t paper from trees? And, globally, haven’t we been suffering from deforestation and general loss of tree cover?

Promoting the use of paper-based products and encouraging industries to venture into paper-based goods is definitely not the route that is to be promoted in this era of climate change and climate change adaptability.

What are we to do? It is clear that the impending ban, which is a singular approach, is no solution. What is needed is a pluralistic approach. There is a popular tag line that says ‘refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle’, and by practising these 4Rs — in conjunction with the ban — will limit the amount of plastic entering the environment. But the most important factor is to have a better and more efficient solid waste collection and disposal system. This is the key to limiting the amount of plastics entering and having a damaging effect on our physical environment.

Thinking aloud!

Kemar Bogle

knb800@yahoo.com