On Tuesday December 31^st, a national initiative on the banning of single use plastics will commence and will end on November 30^th, 2025. This ban entails three main phases:

Phase 1 includes the ban on the importation of t-shirt shopping bags on December 31^st, 2024 and will end on March 31^st, 2025 where the distribution and sale of such items will be prohibited.

On April 30^th 2025, phase 2, Styrofoam food containers, and plastic straws will no longer be imported. These single use plastics should no longer be distributed or sold after July 31^st 2025.

The final phase beginning August 31^st 2025, the importation of single use plastic cups, utensils, and plates will be capped and on November 30^th, the distribution and sale of these items will be restricted.

The Department of Environment in St. Kitts, shared several reasons for the ban: protecting our environments, and ocean life from the effects of plastic pollution, reducing landfill waste, boosting the Sustainable Island State Agenda (S.I.S.A), and to lessen health risks from the presence of micro-plastics in the human body.

The department also shared practical tips that can contribute to a sustainable future such as: shopping with reusable cloth and jute bags, using metal, bamboo, or silicone straws, drinking from reusable water bottles, and the “three r’s” (reduce, reuse and recycle).