San José, Costa Rica, July 22, 2024. Managing plastics, micro-plastics, and plastic waste effectively is a critical global issue. In 2017, plastic production surpassed 8.3 billion tonnes and has continued to grow annually. Packaging materials and single-use items accounted for 40% of this global plastic production, the majority of which is disposed of in landfills or the open environment. It is estimated that up to 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans annually.

The Caribbean islands, which constitute one of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots and one of the areas with the greatest endemic biodiversity on the planet, are severely threatened by plastic pollution. The World Bank estimates that the Caribbean coasts are contaminated with an average of 2,014 objects per kilometer, one-fifth of which are plastic bottles.

In this context, the Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap project, a 2M€ initiative funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), aims at supporting the reduction in plastic waste generation and leakage in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, by implementing effective, socially inclusive solutions to advance circular economy.

On June 28th and July 10th, National Inception Workshops were held in Saint Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis respectively, bringing together different stakeholders and partners at national level, and emphasizing the importance of mutual collaboration for the achievement of the project’s goal and outcomes.

Stakeholders and partners were presented with national perspectives on plastic waste management and engaged in group discussions to provide input on the implementation plan, synergies, partnerships, and potential constraints.

“Following the practice of collaboration and cooperation among partners and stakeholders, it is the expectation that throughout this project and the activities that will be implemented, we will be able to effectively make further strides towards reducing plastic pollution”, noted Dr. Pauline Antoine-Prospere, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training in Saint Lucia. 

Dr. Pauline Antoine-Prospere, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training in Saint Lucia underscored the importance of collaboration amongst different stakeholders in order to achieve the project’s goals.

The Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment highlighted that the Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap project aligns with the Federation’s sustainability efforts, including the announcement of the single use plastic ban and advancing legislative action for effective management of plastic waste on a national and regional level. “This initiative is not only timely but crucial for the future of our beloved Federation. As we stand on the brink of joining the Protocol Concerning Pollution from land – Based Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol) to the Cartagena Convention, this project symbolizes our unwavering commitment to reducing plastic waste generation and leakage”, Dr. Clarke noted.

Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to the Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap project to ensure its success.

Key outcomes of the project include implementing solutions for recyclable and nonrecyclable polymers, advancing policies for plastic waste management, and improving knowledge of each country's plastic footprint. Activities to achieve these outcomes include the development of a community-based action programme aimed at establishing or upgrading livelihood activities from repurposing recyclable polymers, developing innovation labs and adopting of at least one plastic waste reduction measure for non-recyclable polymers in all project countries. In St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a Quantification Flow Analysis will soon be conducted, in order to measure plastic waste by quantity, types and sources at the national level.

“IUCN aims to assist the Caribbean SIDS in addressing the problem of plastic waste leakage, by building partnerships with key stakeholders, providing training and capacity building that foster innovation, and equipping governments, civil society, academic institutions, the private sector, and local communities with scientific evidence that will support decision-making processes and legislation implementation”, noted Úrsula Parrilla, IUCN Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Dr. Giuseppe Nerilli, Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Tourism Coordinator in AICS Regional Office in San Salvador, underscored the crucial role of international cooperation in addressing the global challenge of plastic waste management, emphasizing the importance of financial support and collaborative efforts. The benefits of broadening perspectives through international partnerships were also highlighted.

"One of the best things that international cooperation can do is to enlarge the horizon of solutions. By working with many different countries, we can explore various approaches to the same problem. Bilateral collaboration, in terms of knowledge sharing is important.  It helps us to understand the real problems faced by the countries where we operate. We can then identify, through our national and international systems which are the best solutions and initiatives", noted Dr. Nerilli.

Following the Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis events, National Inception Workshops for Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are scheduled to take place over the next two months.