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Stock photo of single-use plastic utensils. (Olgamiltsova via Canva)
HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The Bermuda government says it intends to draft legislation soon aimed at phasing out single-use plastics.
Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban, addressing the fourth annual Youth Climate Summit, said that a draft version of the Bill would be available for public consultation before being passed into law.
Roban, saying that he is “passionate about using the resources at my disposal to protect our environment while encouraging the growth and development of green initiatives,” told the young people that as Bermuda’s future leaders, they must be knowledgeable and have a say in the island’s future direction.
Legislative plans to ban single-use plastics were announced in the 2018 Throne Speech, with the goal to eliminate them by 2022 and Roban said the Bill focused on the environment and human health, with a realistic phase-out timeline top of the list.
He said allowances would be made for medical items or cases where single-use plastics came with no alternatives.
In his address, the Home Affairs Minister spoke on measures to ensure cleaner air, saying that limits for contaminants listed in Bermuda’s Clean Air Regulations will d be updated for the first time in more than 30 years.
Enforceable quality standards and target levels will now fall in line with those set in Britain and the European Union and Roban said updates had been made to strengthen water resource protections by cracking down on ground pollution and the dumping of sewage and contaminants into the ocean.
“The successful implementation of these initiatives will create economic opportunities, improve living standards and, most importantly, protect and preserve our environment for future generations.
“As the saying goes, ‘We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” he said, adding that he is prepared to throw its weight behind protecting the environment.
