Single-use plastics consultation in urban areas wraps up

Countrywide consultations for the ban of single-use plastics in Guyana have been completed, and the Department of Environment has noted that recommendations are to be made from these findings.
This is according to the Stakeholder Management Coordinator of the Department of Environment, Aretha Forde, who told this publication on Monday that citizens from several populated areas across the country were engaged in discussions that will determine whether or not the plastics are banned.
Some of these areas include Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, and Linden.
“We’ve done the consultations in a few urban areas. What the team would have done is to go out to these areas — like Anna Regina. They went to New Amsterdam, Rose Hall and Linden, because that’s where most of the centers of commerce are in any case,” said Forde.
She also mentioned that the Solid Waste Department of the Georgetown Municipality had forwarded their opinions on the impact which single-use plastics pose on the environment.
“We would have done the Georgetown consultations as well. City Hall would’ve offered from their perspective the impact of the ban on single use plastics,” she said.
Single-use plastics are everyday items which are made of plastic and are disposed of after being used once, with the common ones being bags, straws and bottles.
Solid Waste Director Walter Narine had stated last August that after the consultations are completed, Cabinet would be engaged to determine if the bill would be passed for the ban to be imposed.
“After the consultations, they’ll take the $15 million, which is the estimation to go back to Cabinet; and if it’s all favourable, then they would roll out the legislation and regulations and put them in place,” Narine said during that time.
Many persons are pushing for the ban to be implemented so that the surroundings can be rid of these plastics. It is believed that a large quantity of waste being disposed on a daily basis is made up of single-use plastics.
On the other hand, others are concerned about the alternatives if these items are no longer used. A replacement of these would cost more, but it is assured that they will last for a longer period of time, and this also means that there will be less garbage pollution.
With the large sums of money being spent to collect garbage in the city, City Hall is contemplating charging a fee for every barrel of waste that is collected. This service is currently free in the Georgetown area.