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Policy analysis and development of policy recommendations to reduce plastic waste in Grenada Final report

This document, "Policy analysis and development of policy recommendations to reduce plastic waste in Grenada - Final report" is part of the Norad-funded Plastic Waste Free Islands (PWFI) project within the Caribbean region. It assesses the status of plastic waste management in Grenada, including reviewing key international, regional and national policy instruments and initiatives, evaluating the extent of plastic waste leakage within the Tourism, Waste Management and Fisheries Sectors and identifying key gaps in progress toward ensuring improved waste management in Grenada.

While there is no single international policy framework on plastic waste management, several key international conventions  across waste management, pollution, climate, biodiversity and sustainable development include supportive language and targets that call for the reduction of plastic leakage, including harmful and hazardous plastic products within natural environments, particularly our global Oceans. Some international agreements like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development include targets and milestones while others acknowledge the growing concern of accumulated and unrecycled virgin plastic.

 

Regional policy on plastic waste is often in the form of weak declarations or frameworks without strong and anchoring legal mandates and unlike some international agreements do not have set targets or milestones to support urgent action. Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like Grenada, have been the recipient of several initiatives that drive much needed policy action and implementation. However, in the case of Grenada despite its recent improvements in plastic waste legislation through the adoption of plastic bans on, like most SIDS, Grenada does not have a long term and comprehensive plan in place to drive integrated plastic waste management across all its economic sectors, including tourism and fisheries. While Grenada’s waste management system covers the entirety of the island, the country does not have a strategic plan of action to adequately manage and reduce plastic waste entering its landfills and plastic litter, nor has it identified a long-term sustainable financing mechanism to support the execution of such a strategic plan.

 

By adjusting its policy and legislative framework and solid waste management operations, Grenada would better improve its management of plastic waste. Further, the commercial, tourism and fisheries sectors in Grenada can play and influential role in ensuring that the country improves ownership over plastic waste management strategies including mind set and behaviour changes and reduces its dependence on imported plastic products.