PLASTIC HANDLE BAGS made up less than two per cent of the garbage collected from 50 beaches around the island last year.
And while those numbers may be low, said national coordinator of the Barbados chapter of the Caribbean Environmental Youth Network (CYEN), Sade Deane, plastics in general – bottles, plates, straws and stirrers – were a big pollution problem.
Deane made the comments as she, CYEN (Barbados) deputy national coordinator Kiefer Jackson and projects coordinator Jamilla Sealy outlined plans not only for yesterday’s World Oceans Day but for International Coastal Clean Up Day on September 16, this year.
The figures come as the Future Centre Trust continues to push its 15 cent per plastic bag deterrent fee aimed at reducing the number of plastic bags entering the waste streams. The major supermarket chains are rolling out the initiative in August but some smaller supermarkets have decided against imposing the fee citing the demographics of their customers. (HLE)
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