Story | 23 4月, 2020

IUCN commences a plastic waste national level quantification and Material Flow Analysis in the Caribbean

As part of its Plastic Waste-Free Islands (PWFI) project, IUCN commences a plastic waste national level quantification and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) in the Caribbean. This study investigates plastics production, imports and exports, plastic processing and end-of-life solid waste management systems.

Antigua & Barbuda, April 2020 (IUCN). Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic finds its way into the marine environment globally each year, amounting to 80% of the world’s marine debris[1]. The United Nations reports that five of the most common types of marine debris are made from plastic[2]. The flow-on effect of marine litter has negative impacts on the environment, the marine and terrestrial flora and fauna, and the economy, especially the fishing and tourism industries[3]. Ultimately, the lives and livelihoods of those who depend on a healthy marine environment become increasingly threatened and fragile.

The Plastic Waste-Free Islands (PWFI) project, funded by NORAD[4] and implemented by IUCN, seeks to make a significant, quantified reduction in plastic waste generation and leakage within the planned project timeframe of three (3) years. This is a global initiative, working in Pacific and Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In the Caribbean region, the project focusses in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia.

IUCN has engaged Asia Pacific Waste Consultants (APWC), who is undertaking a plastics quantification within the Caribbean and Pacific regions to identify the life cycle of seven (7) plastic types within three (3) sectors: tourism, fisheries and waste management. 

This study investigates plastics production, imports and exports, plastic processing and end-of-life solid waste management systems. APWC’s international team, with expertise from Australia, Argentina, Belize and South Africa, conducted initial assessments and engagement activities for the project in February 2020 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua and Barbuda is located in the heart of the Caribbean region, and promoted particularly as a global luxury Caribbean escape destination. In 2019, approximately one million visitors entered Antigua and Barbuda – 10.3 times the total population. High-end resorts, hotels and cruise-ship operators tend to consume large quantities of plastic packaged products, imported to the islands because of their long shelf life.

Antigua and Barbuda has been a trailblazer in reducing single-use plastic items, leading the way for its Caribbean neighbours by banning the importation, manufacture and distribution of a number of single-use plastic items including plastic shopping bags, Styrofoam food containers, plastic cutlery, plates, cups and straws and naked Styrofoam coolers. The APWC team witnessed first-hand that no prohibited single-use plastic products were available to consumers in restaurants and supermarkets and these items were not found in the waste stream. This suggests that the bans are driving change effectively. The team also observed the Customs Department enforcing the single-use plastic bags ban at the border. Customs officers confiscated all plastic bags at the border entry, issuing sanctions, as part of the enforcement process, in accordance with local legislation.

In 2019, Antigua and Barbuda also joined the UN Environment’s Clean Seas campaign to eliminate the use of disposable plastics to protect oceans and rivers.

Despite these measures, Antigua and Barbuda is reported to have one of the highest per-capita production rates of waste globally[5]. This figure is strongly influenced by the number of tourists visiting the sovereign state and not just the activities of the local fishing fleet (with 263 small vessels) or the daily consumption habits of its permanent residents.

IUCN and APWC collaborated with the Antiguan Solid Waste Management Authority of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment and engaged local volunteers from the NGO Zero Waste Antigua and Barbuda to complete more than 288 households and commercial premises interviews while collecting and sorting their waste. This dual approach enables correlation between quantification of what waste is generated and qualification about how certain products and packaging are consumed. The collaboration also aimed to transfer knowledge and skills to enhance the locals’ technical capacity.

In addition to households and commercial premises, samples from yachts, cruise ships, fishing vessels and aircraft were also collected across the country to provide a moment in time snapshot. In-depth interviews were conducted with project stakeholders, including waste management representatives, customs staff, recyclers and private businesses. The data collected through this survey will be used to design interventions to effectively address plastic waste generation and leakage into the environment and in doing so help to drive the circular-economy agenda forward.

This is the most extensive and comprehensive plastic waste study undertaken to date in the Caribbean region. The data collected will provide a deeper understanding and insights in relation to the issues and impact of where plastic waste has been generated and disposed, how and where it is managed and provide inputs to ensure the effectiveness of the existing bans and other initiatives undertaken by the government of Antigua and Barbuda.

For further information contact: ormacc@iucn.org

 

[1] https://www.iucn.org/theme/marine-and-polar/our-work/close-plastic-tap-programme

 

[2] https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/12/547032-new-un-report-finds-marine-debris-harming-more-800-species-costing-countries

 

[3] http://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/9238

 

[4] Funding provided by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Didier and Martine Primat Foundation has enabled IUCN to commence the implementation of the PWFI project, as part of its global Close the Plastic Tap Programme. 

 

[5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/09/20/caribbean-islands-are-the-biggest-plastic-polluters-per-capita-in-the-world/#791cb2b8774b