The government of Barbados has launched its new National Action Plan to end plastic pollution, a landmark step in the country’s journey towards sustainable environmental management. The plan, developed in partnership with social enterprise Common Seas, sets out an ambitious, comprehensive roadmap to reducing Barbados’ plastic pollution by 73 percent over the next 10 years.

Dr Charlotte Davies, managing director at Common Seas, said: “The development of this National Action Plan shows real commitment to tackling the plastic problem in Barbados. This vital step was the product of invaluable collaboration between the Government of Barbados, industry experts, businesses, and the community, working with Common Seas to co-build an approach that addresses local challenges, needs and solutions.”

She added: “Barbados has a strong history of taking definitive action against pressing environmental issues and we look forward to seeing the continuation of this legacy brought to life through this National Action Plan. Common Seas has been proud to work with Barbados in its mission to end plastic pollution.”

Barbados is disproportionately affected by plastic pollution. According to Common Seas’ UN-endorsed Plastic Drawdown tool, over 500 tonnes of plastics escaped into the environment in just one year, impacting the natural environment, community health and polluting the island’s seas.

To prepare a comprehensive plan, Barbadian experts and stakeholders worked with experts from Common Seas to deliver an analysis of plastic waste generation, management, and pollution.

In collaboration with government, businesses and the community, five key policies were identified for tackling plastic waste. These policies cover upstream and downstream measures to tackle plastic pollution from the source, including tackling single-use plastic bottle waste through relaunching the country’s Deposit Return Scheme, an enhanced ban on single-use bags, a reuse system for single-use food service items, improving separation of recyclables through targets on collection and recycling for plastic producers (Extended Producer Responsibility), and improving solid waste management through enhancing collections and tackling littering.

Implementing these policies will provide widespread benefits to Barbados. Reducing plastic pollution will not only limit leakage into the ocean and protect local biodiversity, but also preserve the pristine natural environment that attracts tourism and investment, supporting a transition to a more sustainable blue economy.